


don't you (forget about me)

by bevioletskies



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, F/M, Fluff, Growing Up Together, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-06-06 03:51:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15186155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bevioletskies/pseuds/bevioletskies
Summary: Despite being total opposites, Gamora always considered Mantis to be her best friend, having lived across the street from her since they were five. If only she didn’t have an annoying, obnoxious, loud-mouthed, ridiculously attractive, kind-hearted, charismatic big brother who liked to hover - then she would beperfect.Or: Peter’s been in love with his sister’s best friend his entire life. Gamora isn’t exactly surewhatit is she’s feeling, until there comes a point in their lives where she may never see him again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fic title is from the song [Don't You (Forget About Me)](https://open.spotify.com/track/0A4PZuepTcIQVvA5m7R0M1?si=ORMXhs1sSTK9FDIUktRjVw) by Simple Minds.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s never gonna happen, Mantis. I’m just...I’m just gonna be in love with her my whole damn life, and she’s never gonna look at me twice.”

In retrospect, Gamora couldn’t exactly pinpoint _why_ Mantis was her best friend, only that she most definitely was. It wasn’t that she had any problems with Mantis - she couldn’t imagine _anyone_ having problems with someone as sweet and fun as Mantis - but it was the fact they shared approximately zero things in common, aside from growing up on the same street, and now sharing a dorm room in college. Mantis was like the sister Gamora never had, because the sister Gamora _did_ have was Mantis’s polar opposite in every way. And as much as Gamora loved the tempestuous, sullen, bitingly sarcastic Nebula, Mantis was always the breath of fresh air she needed.

One thing Gamora could do without, however? Mantis’s older brother, Peter, who came to visit them once a month because he apparently had nothing better to do. It was even worse in the summer semesters when Peter worked fewer hours at their adoptive father’s pawn shop and would come to stay with them for days at a time, like his presence was something to be savored.

“How’s my favorite sister doing?” Peter beamed, slinging an arm around Mantis’s shoulder and brushing a kiss on the crown of her head.

“I am your _only_ sister, Peter,” Mantis giggled, wrapping her arms around his waist. Gamora, who was sprawled across her own tiny twin bed, could only roll her eyes in response and turn into the wall, focused solely on her textbook. As much as Mantis loved Peter - and Gamora could understand why, considering how much he loved her in return - he was still just as insufferable as ever.

Peter’s grin faded into something of a smirk as he released Mantis, turning to cock his chin in Gamora’s direction. “Hey, Gamora.”

“Peter,” Gamora replied curtly. She didn’t have to look up to know he had that usual smug, saccharine grin of his plastered all over his face. _Ugh_.

“Wow, is it cold in here or is it just me?” Peter joked. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered, causing Mantis to giggle. Gamora bit back the urge to roll her eyes, _again_ , because yes, Peter was just that kind of guy.

Gamora had known Peter since she was five and he was seven, and all these years later, he seemed to never change. Gamora liked to think she was more sociable and open-minded, that Nebula was less angry and impulsive, and Mantis was certainly more confident and outgoing than she had been in high school. Peter, however, was still the same goofy, loud-mouthed, obnoxious kid he’d always been, only now in an adult’s body. Not that Gamora thought about his body that much; Mantis still liked to tease her about one particular summer a few years back after Peter had graduated high school, and Gamora and Nebula stayed at their place while their adoptive parents were away on vacation. She may or may not have run into him getting out of the shower more than once. The first time was unintentional, the second time a mere coincidence, and the third...well, let’s just say it had been something of an educational summer for Gamora that year.

“How long are you here for?” Gamora shut her textbook rather harshly and stood, taking a few cautious but decisive strides towards the door. If Peter was going to be hanging around their room for the next few hours, _she_ certainly didn’t want to be. “You better not be sleeping on our floor again.”

“Why’s that?” Peter asked, genuinely curious.

Gamora’s hand faltered on the doorknob, suddenly hesitant. She turned to finally face him for the first time since he’d unceremoniously strolled into their room, despite everything else in her mind telling her not to. She had only seen him a month ago when he had stayed for the long weekend and got a bit too drunk, but she could tell that his hair was already getting too long, curling around his ears, and his sideburns were more prominent than they’d been before, emphasizing the angles of his cheekbones and jawline. He was wearing his signature red leather jacket, though it seemed a little tighter than last time. “Because I might bring someone back to the room, and I don’t want to have to kick _two_ people out,” she replied evenly.

“Oh.” To her surprise, Peter’s face fell, turning on his heel so he could sit on Mantis’s bed, suddenly very interested in what she had plastered on the walls. “You’re seeing someone?”

“Sort of,” Gamora lied. _Wrong_. She hadn’t been on a date since her disastrous evening with that overeager Primean from her sociology class. “It’s been going quite well, actually. We might be getting serious.”

“Oh,” Peter said again, still refusing to meet her eyes. “That’s, uh, that’s great! Mantis never mentioned it to me.” Mantis looked incredibly confused by now, her head bobbing back and forth between them like she was watching a sporting match.

“Why would she tell _you_?” Gamora scoffed. “You know what, never mind. I’m going to the gym and then the grocery store, I’ll be back for dinner. Mantis, you need anything?” The other girl shook her head rapidly. “Okay. Oh, and don’t let him raid our fridge. I paid good money for that booze.” Gamora snuck one last glance at Peter, who was still unusually shifty-eyed, before shrugging it off and disappearing out the door.

The moment it shut behind her, Peter let out an agonized groan, flopping down into Mantis’s pillows and nearly braining himself on the bedframe in the process. “You didn’t tell me Gamora was in a relationship!”

“That is because she isn’t,” Mantis frowned, sitting at the foot of her own bed. “I have no idea why she said all of those things, especially when _I_ know they are not true. But Peter, if it bothers you so much, you should just tell her.”

“Are you kidding me?” Peter exclaimed, rolling over onto his back so he could stare forlornly at the ceiling. “I couldn’t tell her when we were kids, what makes you think I can tell her _now_? Besides, I’d have to clean up my act before she ever thought of me that way.”

“Then you would not be the Peter that everyone knows and loves,” Mantis protested, reaching to squeeze his hand in sympathy. “Do not compromise just to get her to like you. Then you would just be living a lie.”

“C’mon, she’s never gonna feel the same way. She doesn’t even _like_ me, after all these years.” Peter let out a quiet choked noise at the thought, running his fingers through his hair in distress. “It’s never gonna happen, Mantis. I’m just...I’m just gonna be in love with her my whole damn life, and she’s never gonna look at me twice.”

* * *

_Fifteen years ago_

“Peter! Mantis! Get in here!” Yondu hollered, his voice resonating throughout the entire house. What had once been a run-down shack housing questionable people and even more questionable activity had been transformed into a somewhat respectable suburban family home, a place once crawling with illegal paraphernalia, now overrun with children’s toys.

Two sets of footsteps came rumbling down the stairs, one running at full speed with reckless thundering leaps, the other more hesitant, but steady. “Wha’s going on, Yondu?” Peter tripped on the last stair and nearly face-planted into the wall opposite him, stumbling into the living room rather cartoonishly. Yondu shook his head at his antics - he’d be damned if he didn’t love his boy, but he was nothing if not clumsy - and gestured out the front bay window.

Across the street, a moving ship obscured most of their view, with a young-looking family emerging from the ship parked in front of it. Peter and Mantis strained their necks in an attempt to see who it was - an adult man and woman who looked to be native Xandarian, and two little girls wearing matching playsuits and sneakers. “We got neighbors!” Peter hollered excitedly, causing Mantis to flinch. “An’ they got kids our age!”

“Why don’t you two go say hi?” Yondu suggested, clapping Peter on the shoulder. “You kids need more friends, since y’all scared away all them boys and girls at school.”

“They were bullyin’ Mantis ‘cos she couldn’t control her powers. I don’t wanna be friends with none of them,” Peter protested. He brightened when she smiled sweetly at him in silent gratitude. “C’mon, let’s go! Maybe they’ll be nice.”

“Be careful, now!” Yondu called after them, watching as Mantis trailed Peter out the door, her head bowed. She was still wary of strangers, was even a little skittish around Yondu sometimes when he was stressed out. Their biological father, Ego, had made no effort to hide his blatant favoritism towards Peter, leaving Mantis feeling woefully unloved. Peter, on the other hand, did his best to make up for it by showering her with attention and affection, and had done his best to protect her when they were living with Ego. Yondu shuddered at the memory. It was good he had gotten them out of there in time, or he could only imagine what would have become of them.

Peter approached the family with all his usual enthusiasm, grabbing Mantis’s hand at the last second so she wouldn’t be so frightened. “Hiya!” he exclaimed. “My name’s Peter, and this is my little sister, Mantis. We live in the house across the street from you.”

“Hello Peter, Mantis, it’s so nice to meet you.” The man smiled warmly, sticking out a hand for Peter to shake. “You can call me Tanak, and this is my wife, Mexa. These are our adopted daughters, Gamora and Nebula. I think they’re pretty close to your age. They might even end up in the same class as you! Say hello, girls.” Neither of them spoke, however, instead electing to narrow their dark eyes in distaste.

Peter wasn’t one to be deterred, though. “Me n’ Mantis are adopted too,” he said cheerfully. “You wanna come over to our place and play? We got snacks. And a real nice TV!”

“Doesn’t that sound like a good idea, girls?” Mexa gently patted both of them on the backs, though their disgruntled expressions only intensified. “That would be very kind of you, Peter. Tanak and I have to spend the rest of the day unpacking, but I think the girls could use some fun. It’s been a very long trip to get here.”

“Sure thing,” Peter grinned, gesturing for them to follow. Gamora and Nebula exchanged dubious looks before reluctantly walking across the street, their gazes roaming around their unfamiliar surroundings. It was a neat little suburb in the sleepy town of Valt on Xandar, somewhat akin to Peter’s hometown on Terra (before being whisked away by Ego after his mother had died). They were hundreds of miles away from the Xandarian capital where the Nova Corps were stationed, but still, Gamora shuddered at the sight of a young man in a familiar uniform further down the sidewalk, seemingly kissing his lover goodbye. It was still hard for her and Nebula to feel comfortable around the Nova Corps after they had nearly been shot down on Titan mere weeks ago. Granted, they were in pursuit of Thanos to free them from his grasp and were in no way trying to hurt the girls, but Gamora would never forget the feeling of the bullet that grazed her shoulder.

“Does she talk?” The other three startled at the sound of Nebula’s voice, which was eerily monotonous for a five-year-old girl. “Your sister, does she talk?”

“Yes, I do,” Mantis said shakily, ducking her head once more so her antennae wouldn’t glow too brightly in intrigue. “But Peter likes to talk. I do not.”

“Why’s that?” Gamora’s voice was comparatively softer, though there was still an underlying roughness that suggested she was easily irritated, or at the very least, cautious of their new companions.

“I think Peter likes the sound of his own voice,” Mantis said, giggling slightly. Peter stuck his tongue out at her before hopping up the steps of their front porch, taking two at a time.

He pounded on the front door repeatedly, startling the girls. “Yondu! We brought ‘em over to play!” Peter yelled.

“Quit yammerin’, boy, I’m right here,” Yondu barked, the door swinging open with a loud creak. “Hi there, girls. I’m Peter and Mantis’s daddy, you can call me Yondu. You want a drink or somethin’? Juice, water?”

The sisters looked at each other again before Gamora spoke. “Juice would be nice, thank you,” she said quietly, staring up at Yondu with enormous, dark eyes. Both seemed just as nervous as Mantis had been the day he brought her and Peter home, like they weren’t quite sure how to function around other people yet. He suspected there was more to their jumpiness than simply being new to the neighborhood. He nodded gently before turning and disappearing into the kitchen.

The girls followed Peter and Mantis into the living room, taking care to sit on the couch perfectly still, their hands folded in their laps. Peter took a few minutes to work the TV remote, his tongue sticking out in concentration as he tried to remember what channel he was attempting to find. When he finally got it working, having landed on some random children’s cartoon, he finally settled down next to Gamora, a friendly, if somewhat dopey grin on his face. “So where’re you from?”

“Gamora and me were taken from our families as babies by a bad man named Thanos. He wanted to be our father and raise us to be bad guys, too, but the Nova Corps invaded Titan and took us away from him. They gave us to Tanak and Mexa, and now we’re here.” Nebula picked at her fingernails, refusing to meet their eyes. Gamora stared at her sister incredulously, unsure if she’d ever heard her say so much at once.

“I bet you’re gonna like livin’ here,” Peter declared. “It’s real friendly. A little quiet, but maybe you’ll like that. And school’s pretty okay, if you like learning. The teachers are nice, but the other kids are kinda mean sometimes.” He looked over at Gamora, hoping she would respond, surprised to find that she was looking right at him. He hadn’t gotten a good look at her face before, considering how withdrawn she had been until now, but suddenly he felt as if the air had been knocked right out of his lungs. She had large brown eyes and long, fluttery eyelashes, a little button nose, and silver markings on her face. She was unlike any girl Peter had ever met before. _Oh, she’s real pretty_ , Peter thought almost dreamily.

“Why’re you looking at me funny?” Gamora snapped.

“Nothin’! I wasn’t lookin’ at you at all,” Peter said hastily, quickly turning back towards the television. He wasn’t sure what to make of the girls quite yet, but he could only hope that they would be his and Mantis’s new friends. He knew his sister especially needed it, and maybe, just maybe, these girls would need them, too. 

* * *

 Gamora returned to their dorm room a few hours later, dismayed to find Peter and Mantis sitting on the floor next to what was meant to be their “guest” air mattress but had really become Peter’s, surrounded by styrofoam boxes of takeout. “Mantis, I was going to cook,” she groaned, setting down her hefty bag of groceries by the door. “And it smells like oil in here - at least open the window.”

“Relax, Gamora. Join us!” Peter said cheerily, waving a fork at the multitude of cartons. He was sprawled across the floor on his belly, his wide frame taking up most of what little floor space was left. “I ordered _way_ too much.”

“You always spend so frivolously,” Gamora grouched, though she eventually gave in, kicking off her boots and sitting cross-legged by Mantis. She grabbed a plate and fork and began digging through her options. Even though she didn’t want to give Peter the satisfaction, she was admittedly quite hungry after her workout, and too tired to cook.

“Hey, I’ve been making a lot of money lately,” Peter protested. “Yondu’s been getting more business than usual, thanks to _me_ helping out with advertising, so he’s been paying everyone better. Even Retch stopped complainin’ about his pay.” When Gamora didn’t respond, Peter glanced over at Mantis, who nodded at him encouragingly. “I, uh, I might be making a career change, though. Can’t be at the shop forever, y’know? So I’ve been studying for the Nova Corps force exam. Working out a lot more so I can pass the physical, too.”

“Really?” That peaked Gamora’s interest. For one reason or another, she couldn’t picture Peter in a uniform. “ _You_ want to be an officer?”

“Tryin’ to be,” Peter shrugged. “Gotta do _something_ with my life, right?”

“I just didn’t think you would want to answer to anybody but yourself,” Gamora commented lightly. “That’s good, I suppose. Taking responsibility.” They fell silent for a moment as Gamora began eating, while Mantis walked over to the kitchenette to clean her and Peter’s plates. “And how are you and Bereet doing?”

Peter looked at her blankly. “Who?”

Gamora let out an internal sigh of resignation. _Typical_. “You can’t even remember your own girlfriend’s name?”

“Bereet’s not my girlfriend,” Peter frowned. “I barely even know her. Where’d you get _that_ idea?” From what he could remember, the last time he’d come to visit, he took Mantis and Gamora out for drinks at a nearby pub, and a cute Krylorian classmate of Gamora’s had come up to them, initially wanting to chat with the girls. Bereet had ended up flirting with Peter, and he had half-heartedly flirted back to see how Gamora would react. To his dismay, she had barely acknowledged it was happening, more interested in chatting with the Korbonite bartender (though why she wanted to flirt with someone who didn’t have a nose, Peter would never understand. He ended up getting a little drunker than intended after that disappointing experiment).

“But Mantis said - ” Gamora paused, realizing how hypocritical she would sound. The older they got, the more often Mantis became a buffer between conversations that she and Peter never actually had themselves. It was rather childish, now that she thought about it. “Well, I suppose you did always favor being single. Made it easier for you to flirt around without having to make a commitment.”

It had been incredibly annoying in their adolescence, going home from school with Nebula, Mantis, Peter, and whatever girl of the week Peter had elected to hang out with. Whether it was some particularly intelligent girl who was too charmed to realize that he wanted her help on his homework, or a very wealthy one who was willing to sell him some expensive family heirloom for a pretty penny and possibly more, he was never alone. Gamora had complained to Mantis about it frequently, objecting to Peter treating girls more like pawns than people, but Mantis was strangely unbothered by it all.

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing? Flirting around?” To Gamora’s surprise, Peter seemed genuinely upset. Before she could defend herself, Mantis practically threw herself back onto the floor again between them, looking somewhat panicked.

“Peter!” Mantis exclaimed a little too loudly. “Did you find out whether you were accepted yet?”

His gaze lingered on Gamora for another moment before looking turning to Mantis, his usual easygoing smile settling back in. “Nah, not yet. I find out if I make the cut by the end of the week. Then I ship out for training on Dervani for two years. I won’t be able to leave except for holidays, though, and I dunno if I’ll get to choose my assignment afterwards.”

“You mean...you mean I might not be able to see you anymore?” Mantis was distressed at the very thought. She had lived her whole life with Peter by her side, always looking out for her. Even when she and Gamora left for college two years ago, he still texted her regularly, asked her about her teachers, her classes, whether she had met any cute boys (or girls) lately. Gamora felt a surge of sympathy - despite her own contempt for Peter, she knew Mantis was going to find it difficult to live life without him as her constant.

“Hey, I’d definitely find ways to visit,” Peter said reassuringly, reaching out to tangle her fingers with his. “But in the meantime, I was thinkin’ you could skip class this week, maybe come home and hang out with me and Yondu before I leave?”

“Yes!” Mantis exclaimed without hesitation. “And Gamora, too?” Gamora recoiled.

Peter glanced over at her as if he’d forgotten she was there. It made her uneasy to think he had. “You probably don’t want to,” he said, the beginnings of his signature smirk forming in the corners of his mouth. “Mantis says you’ve never missed a class in your life.”

The rational side of Gamora’s brain told her to, for once in her life, agree with Peter. Spending an entire week back home when Peter was around? She already wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his face on multiple occasions in the mere hour she’d spent in his presence today alone. Hell, she was practically reliving every previous instance of him visiting their dorm and all the ridiculous adventures he had dragged them out on. She was still convinced Peter should have been arrested for breaking into the science wing and stealing all the ingredients for rocket fuel. He wasn’t exactly a criminal, per say, but he did have a penchant for chaos.

But then, a tiny little thought wriggled its way into her mind. _This may be the last time you’ll ever see him, and you don’t want it to end here, do you?_ Gamora shuddered a little. Where had that come from? She looked over at Peter once more, smug as ever. Maybe she wanted to spite him, to prove him wrong. She could be impulsive, too.

“I can miss some classes,” Gamora said before she could stop herself, though there was a sense of satisfaction watching the grin slide right off Peter’s face. “When do we leave?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies, and welcome to my new multi-chapter fic! If you've read my long fics before, I promise this one isn't nearly as angsty or full of overly dramatic monologues. I just wanted to write something light and fluffy and a little bit nostalgic-feeling to counter all my sad feels about _Infinity War_. Just a couple things of note - the timelines are shifted a little earlier in comparison to the MCU, so Peter's mother died earlier, and Gamora and Nebula were taken by Thanos earlier as well. Peter and Mantis are also biological half-siblings to keep things simple.
> 
> I should be able to update every week and will run through the rest of the summer, so I hope you'll stick around! Thank you so much for reading, comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I hope you enjoyed :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Sooo, you’re saying you’re gonna miss me?”

“I must be going crazy,” Gamora muttered to herself as she approached Peter’s Mustang the following morning, a sizeable bag hefted over her shoulder. Mantis was already in the passenger’s seat, digging through the glove compartment for a particular cassette tape, while Peter was leaning against its side, whipping off his sunglasses rather dramatically before waving at Gamora (as if she couldn’t see his obnoxious car from a mile away).

It was a car she was almost _too_ familiar with, having been driven to and from school on a near-daily basis once Peter had gotten his license. It was the only thing Peter had inherited from his and Mantis’s father, a flashy muscle car with a bright blue exterior and a burnt orange leather interior. She knew Peter liked spending summers working on an old M-ship Yondu had gotten him for his sixteenth birthday, doing it up just like the car so he could sell the last reminder of his father someday.

“I’m gonna call her the Milano when she’s done,” Peter had said last summer. His face had been smeared with grease and motor oil. Gamora had to fight the urge to grab the rag out of the back pocket of his jeans and wipe him down.

“Why does ‘she’ need a name?” Gamora had asked.

“It’s a Terran thing, I guess. We like naming our cars and our ships after women.” At her baffled expression, he had added, “Come around to the house tonight and I’ll show you a couple episodes of _Who’s The Boss_ , you’ll see who I’m talkin’ about.”

Gamora had, for some unfathomable reason, taken up his offer, and ended up squished on the couch with him for three hours, entirely alone. Despite regretting saying yes, it ended up being one of her favorite evenings she’d ever spent in Peter’s company, though hearing him describe in detail why he had such a big crush on the main character made her strangely uncomfortable.

This, however, was something of a different story as she got into the backseat. Once Mantis had popped her selected tape into the car’s audio system, Peter started the car, music immediately blasting through the speakers, far too loudly for 7 AM on a Saturday. Groaning, Gamora leaned over to crank the volume knob down. She was already regretting her decision to join them, and they hadn’t even pulled out of the parking lot yet.

Undeterred, Peter put the car in reverse and slung his arm over the back of Mantis’s headrest, glancing out the back of the car. He then looked at Gamora, observing her sour expression. “Hey, did you tell Nebula you’re comin’ home for the week?”

“No, but I told our parents. They won’t be home, though, Tanak’s attending some work convention in the capital,” Gamora replied. She realized her mistake too late when Mantis whipped around, eyes blown wide (well, wider than usual).

“Then we can make it a sleepover, like when we were children!” Mantis squealed. “Oh, please, Gamora, it will be so much fun.”

“I’m a big girl, Mantis,” Gamora said, half-amused by Mantis’s enthusiasm, half-irritated with herself for telling them about it. “I can stay in my own house alone. In fact, I won’t even be alone. Nebula’s going to be home, she could use the company.”

“Then you should _both_ come stay with us,” Peter said decisively, grinning. “It really _will_ be like old times.”

Gamora sighed, slumping in the backseat. It was hard to argue with Peter and Mantis once they became invested in an idea; she could only hope that Nebula would intimidate them into letting it go. If anyone could scare anyone into doing anything - or _not_ doing anything - it would be her.

Six hours and several bathroom stops along the freeway later, Peter turned onto their street. Mantis let out an excited whoop, startling a few children who had been bicycling nearby. Gamora looked up from her book, feeling oddly uncomfortable about seeing familiar houses being replaced with bigger, fancier ones. At this rate, the only original houses left on their block would be hers and Yondu’s, which looked positively ancient in comparison.

Yondu was already standing on the front porch when they pulled into the driveway, a friendly (albeit a little unsettling) smile on his face, arms thrown wide so he could embrace his children. Mantis leaped over the side of the car at full speed before Peter had even put it in park, barreling into Yondu’s embrace with a happy cry. “Hey, old man,” Peter called affectionately as he turned the engine off. “Told you I was a bad influence. Pulled her outta class and everything.”

“It’s not every day her big brother’s goin’ off to be a space cop,” Yondu beamed as Peter and Gamora got out of the car. “Real ironic, ain’t it, considerin’ who your daddy is?”

“Not about to arrest you,” Peter laughed, jogging up the porch to wrap his arms around Yondu and Mantis. “Oh man, I’m gonna miss you guys.” Gamora awkwardly began sliding her bag out of the backseat, wondering if it would be terribly rude of her to sneak off across the street and disappear into her own house without them noticing.

“Is that Gamora I see over there?” _Shit_ , Gamora winced. Yondu was sometimes a little too perceptive for her liking. “Come up here and join us, girl. Haven’t seen you since your holiday break!”

“Hi, Yondu,” she said defeatedly. She walked up the steps of the house, a smile forming despite herself. As much as she had grown to care for Tanak and Mexa, they weren’t quite the affectionate, doting parents she had secretly hoped for. Yondu, for all his tough demeanor and unrefined mannerisms, tended to treat Gamora and Nebula like they were his own. He was the one who had taught her how to pilot a ship when Tanak had told her it was too dangerous, who had driven two hours into the valley to pick her up from a house party where she’d been ditched by her date, who had cheered the loudest when she accepted her diploma at graduation. In a way, she felt guilty for not treating him like the parent he had truly become.

“You stayin’ with us this week? Might be the last time you get to see this ugly mug, after all,” Yondu chuckled, playfully smacking Peter on the cheek. Peter grumbled, disentangling himself from his adoptive father so he could start bringing their bags into the house. “Your sister’s already said yes. Don’t go crawlin’ back to your own house now.”

“She _what_ ,” Gamora said flatly. “You asked her?”

“Said she don’t got anything better to do. You know, I’ve been telling her to put in them college app’ications, an’ she just tells me to piss off,” Yondu chuckled. “Bet _you_ don’t got any luck, either.”

“She’s not interested in going to school,” Gamora shrugged. “Just like Peter.”

Peter poked his head out from inside the house. “What do you mean, ‘just like me’?”

Yondu also looked confused. “Peter got into all the schools he applied for, girl. Just didn’t end up going ‘cos I got sick that summer, remember? Needed someone to look after the shop. And as much as I love my boys, they ain’t got the charm or the brains that Peter’s got to sell all that junk.”

“I didn’t know that,” Gamora replied, feeling slightly ashamed. She had always assumed Peter didn’t have the discipline for post-secondary education and never applied in the first place. After he graduated, he would drive Mantis and Gamora to school, head to work at Yondu’s shop, pick them up at 3 PM sharp, and bring them back to the store for the last few hours of his shift. They would do their homework while Peter fixed up old machines and sweet-talked anyone who came through the store, before driving everyone home, often having dinner at Yondu’s together. It had been his steady schedule for two years until Mantis and Gamora graduated as well. As far as she knew, he had no real ambition beyond being at the shop indefinitely. His interest in becoming a Nova Corps officer was becoming stranger by the minute. “So, where _is_ my sister?”

She found herself sitting on the familiar, worn-through couch two minutes later, next to Nebula, who was clutching her juice box a bit too tightly, her eyes fixated on the afternoon talk show host who was prattling on about the latest in Contraxian fashion. “Sister,” Nebula said curtly.

“I can’t believe you agreed to this,” Gamora muttered.

“I had nothing else to do,” Nebula drawled. “Besides, I thought you wanted to spend some quality time with Quill.”

“What? I - I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Gamora huffed. She went silent when Yondu entered the den to give her a juice box as well, smiling at him gratefully before falling back into a stern grimace the moment he left.

“You followed him home like a damn dog,” Nebula hissed. “You aren’t here to see _me_. You didn’t even bother telling me you were coming back, I had to find out from _Yondu_. And you already live with Mantis, so it’s not like you’re doing this to spend time with her. God, you’re transparent.”

Gamora sighed defeatedly, stabbing her juice box with a straw. It was a silly tradition, but she knew Yondu had been keeping them in the fridge ever since the day she and Nebula had moved into town. “I’m sorry, Nebula, I should have at least texted or called. But I don’t appreciate what you’re implying.”

“I’m not implying, I’m _telling_ ,” Nebula said, twisting her mouth into an impish grin. It was an unsettlingly playful expression for someone who usually scowled like it was her job. “Will you just get over whatever your hangup is and give in already?”

“I don’t have to listen to this,” Gamora snapped, getting to her feet. Her irritation from earlier was already starting to come back. “I’m going to go unpack my bag. Don’t you dare say anything like that again, _especially_ in front of Peter.”

“Whatever you say,” Nebula hummed. “Just don’t come crying to me once he’s gone.”

* * *

Dinner was a loud affair, mostly on Yondu and Peter’s part, as they traded off old stories that everyone had heard a thousand times before. Mantis was happy to laugh in the appropriate spots and interject whenever possible, eventually shifting the focus of the conversation to her as she told an overly detailed recollection of her college experience so far. Nebula looked like she was seriously considering taking her eye out with her fork so she wouldn’t have to listen anymore. “And how ‘bout you, Gamora? How’s life been treatin’ ya?” Yondu asked.

“Well enough,” she said diplomatically, taking another bite of her food. “I think Mantis has had enough excitement for the both of us. I don’t exactly have anything interesting to talk about.”

“Gamora’s been seeing someone, _apparently_ ,” Peter said before he could stop himself.

Yondu’s knife clattered against his plate, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Really? Hope he’s better than that jackass from high school,” he said, shaking his head. “How long’s it been?”

“Not very,” Gamora replied, glancing over at Peter. He was being strangely evasive again. “Actually, I’m not sure if it’s going to work out.”

“Well, that’s a shame,” Yondu frowned. “Girl like you deserves a good man. Then again, not like you ever needed no one, hey?”

Gamora nodded absent-mindedly. “After Richard, I...did swear off relationships. Maybe I am better off alone.”

“Hey now, that’s not what I meant,” Yondu protested. “You still got your family, Gamora. You got us! Ain’t no one’s gonna mess with you like that asshole did as long as we’s around.”

Peter stood very suddenly, his chair scraping harshly against the wood of the dining room floor. “Hey, uh, I think I’m gonna head to bed early, Yondu. The trip back kinda messed me up.”

“You make that drive once a month, boy, what’re you on about?”

“I dunno, I’m _tired_ , do I need permission to go to my room?” Peter snapped, snatching up his plate and cup and disappearing into the kitchen. They could hear him emptying everything into the compost and flinging the dishes into the sink without care. “Night.”

Everyone exchanged uneasy looks, unsure of what had just happened, before Mantis awkwardly decided to bring up the time their sociology TA had tried to ask Gamora on a date (it hadn’t ended well for _anyone_ involved). As Yondu laughed heartily at Mantis’s story, Gamora couldn’t help but glance down the hall at Peter’s closed door, wondering if Nebula was right. 

* * *

Peter’s temper seemed to have tapered off by morning, judging by the way he strolled into the kitchen, whistling as if nothing had happened. Gamora and Mantis sat at the kitchen counter, watching as he started cracking eggs to make them breakfast, and Gamora felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. Back in high school, on Sunday mornings, Tanak and Mexa would shuffle her and Nebula over to Yondu’s to have breakfast with them while they attended service. One particular morning, when Peter was eleven, he made scrambled eggs for the first time and insisted on doing so ever since then. They had been incredibly awful for the first few months, but Yondu eventually taught him how to remove the eggshells and add seasoning. Whenever she had to skip Sunday breakfast for one reason or another, Gamora found herself a little wistful, almost guilty.

“You girls wanna hang out with me at the shop today?” Peter asked as he began portioning their food. “The guys have been asking about you. Groot’s especially been real desperate, it’s been freaking _ages_.”

Gamora shrugged. “Sure. I didn’t exactly have anything else planned this week, might as well.”

“That’s the spirit,” Peter said dryly, sliding her plate towards her. “Breakfast’s served!”

After they ate, the three of them piled into Peter’s car and took off for _Eclector_ , the pawn shop that had become Yondu’s shining pride and glory (aside from Peter and Mantis, of course). After years of thieving, pirating, and other illegal activity, Yondu had changed his ways once he saved his children from their terrible fates on Ego’s planet. Now, he sold possessions that had been recovered from other thieves, but couldn’t be returned to their original owners for one reason or another. In their small town that bordered much larger cities full of wealthy families with money to burn, they managed to turn a pretty profit. A lot of Yondu’s ex-Ravager clan, along with some of the scraggly, street-tough kids around town, ended up working for the store in an attempt to make something of themselves. Gamora had a particular soft spot for the trio she had met in middle school and subsequently connected them to Yondu before they could go down the wrong path - Drax, Rocket, and Groot.

Groot immediately engulfed her in a giant hug the moment she walked into the store, the old-fashioned bell hanging above the door practically singing her arrival. “I am Groot!” he said happily. Rocket jumped up onto the counter so he could join in on the hug, too.

“It has been too long since we’ve last met, Gamora,” Drax said with a wide grin, attempting to get his arms around everyone. “Why did you not return with Mantis the last time she was in town?”

“I switched majors, so I had to stay behind to finish the paperwork,” Gamora replied, smiling up at them in return.

“What’d you switch to?” Peter asked from the doorway, where he turned the “OPEN” sign around and flicked on all the lights.

“Social work.” She glanced over her shoulder to look at him. “I want to help female victims of abuse. Women like...like me and Nebula.”

Peter smiled somewhat sadly, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he did. “That definitely sounds like more of your thing than physiotherapy. Hey, maybe you and Mantis can team up and open a women’s clinic on Xandar. You handle the legal stuff, Mantis does counseling - it could be pretty awesome.”

Mantis brightened at the suggestion. “Oh, I like that idea very much!”

“So do I,” Gamora admitted. She took a moment to glance around the store, taking it all in. It still looked the same - a little scrappy and worn, with fluorescent lighting that made her head hurt. The linoleum floor seemed to be even more dinged than the last time she’d been here, and the raggedy old couch under the window, where she and Mantis spent their afternoons doing homework while they waited for Peter to finish work, had a few more rips in the upholstery than before. “Haven’t been here since that disastrous Christmas party,” she commented. “Oh, and you finally fixed that wall you somehow managed to put a hole through.”

“In my defense, Quill started it,” Rocket interjected, leaping off the counter and moving toward the aforementioned wall, patting it almost comfortingly. “Almost can’t tell nothing happened to it in the first place, huh?”

For the next few hours, Gamora and Mantis recounted tales of their college experience to the boys - well, mostly Mantis, unless Gamora managed to get a word in. Groot was most invested in their stories about their classes, while Drax and Rocket were more interested in hearing about how their social lives were going. Ever since Drax started dating his girlfriend, Hovat, in junior year, he seemed a little too intent on finding a “proper match” for all of his friends, much to everyone’s dismay. His idea of what a “soulmate” was wasn’t the most...conventional of concepts. They were still scarred from the time he described his conception with strange fondness.

Around noon, Peter ducked out to grab everyone some lunch from the deli next door. A few minutes later, a tall, stunningly beautiful girl with golden skin and hair strolled in, chin held high, taking delicate shuffling steps in her stilettos in an attempt to avoid all of the cracks in the floor. The boys exchanged equally confused glances - they had never seen this girl before; she was clearly from out of town. She was holding an intricately-carved container of what appeared to be glowing, golden batteries. “Is Peter Quill here?” she said, her voice just as droll and uninterested as she appeared, positively dripping with condescension. “I have something for him.”

“We can take it from here,” Rocket offered, eyes fixed hungrily on the batteries. He always did have a proclivity for shiny objects.

“This is meant to be an exchange between me and Mister Quill, and _only_ Mister Quill. Besides, I have something... _else_ that I would like to offer him, and certainly cannot be fulfilled by substitutes, especially by rats like _you_.” She was looking at Rocket like he were a particularly persistent wad of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

“What’d you call me?!” Rocket snarled, leaping for her, but Groot’s branches immediately snaked out to pull him back before he could get any closer. She shrieked, jumping backward in fright.

“He’ll be back soon, he’s just getting food next door,” Gamora interjected, shooting Rocket a dirty look. Clearly, picking a fight with this girl was only going to end poorly.

To her dismay, the girl turned to quite literally look down at her, fixating her bright yellow gaze on Gamora’s face. “You’re Gamora, aren’t you?” she drawled. “Mister Quill talks about you quite often.”

“What?” Gamora was stunned into silence. What was _with_ everyone talking about her to Peter lately? Before the newcomer could comment further, Peter practically burst through the door, the bell clanging loudly against its frame.

“Ayesha!” He stumbled in, nearly tripping over his own feet as he hauled a few bags of sandwiches for the entire group. “You’re here early. What’s, uh, what’s up?”

“I made other plans, I had to come now,” she replied, holding out the box of batteries rather stiffly. “As you’ve requested, Mister Quill. I would like my payment now. Along with something else, perhaps?”

“I’m gonna have to pass,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “But if you give me a minute, I’ll grab your money from the backroom - ”

“Really?” Ayesha’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “You’re sure now, Mister Quill? I won’t be offering again.”

“Pretty sure,” Peter said firmly. He glanced over at Gamora, who was too busy rummaging through the plastic bags for her food to be paying attention. “I’ll take ‘em, then.”

Scowling, Ayesha practically shoved the box into Peter’s chest, turned around, and promptly stormed out without so much as a goodbye. The others fell silent as the door slammed shut. “What was that about?” Mantis finally asked. “I have never seen her before.”

“She’s just some rich girl from Sovereign, had a bunch of crap she wanted to get rid of,” Peter shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t even know how she found this place, but whatever. Won’t be seeing her again.”

“But she didn’t even get her money,” Rocket pointed out. “What kinda rich-y rich girl don’t wanna get her money?”

“I think she was looking for more than just money,” Peter coughed awkwardly. “Besides, she’s probably more concerned about her dignity than her bank account.” He reached over the others to grab his own food and settled on the couch between Gamora and Mantis, taking a large bite out of his sandwich and chewing exaggeratedly. Gamora wondered briefly whether to ask him about why Ayesha had recognized her, but as Peter began slurping his soda, all she could think about was shoving him off the couch. 

* * *

Later that night, as Peter was getting ready to go to bed, he heard a knock on his door. He turned away from his dresser, half-expecting it to be Mantis - Yondu had never been the type to knock - only to find Gamora standing there instead, smiling at him a little uncertainly. “Hey,” he said, confused, gesturing for her to come in. “Something wrong?”

“Mantis refuses to tell me what her plans are for the rest of the week, and you know I hate surprises, so I was hoping _you_ would tell me,” Gamora huffed. She took a few tentative steps over the threshold, looking around the room. It was unfamiliar to her since she had no inclination to hang out with Peter in here; it felt too intimate. It was typical of a young man’s room, with laundry and miscellaneous junk scattered everywhere in a haphazard heap. His beloved Walkman sat on his desk by his computer, along with a stack of extra cassette tapes he’d rummaged up whenever he went to a trading post with Yondu in search of new goods to resell. Plastered along the wall beside Peter’s bed were old-fashioned posters - _retro_ , as he liked to call them - along with an impressive collage of photos, ranging from an old, yellowing photo from the day Yondu had officially adopted Peter and Mantis, to a recent selfie he had taken with Mantis and a disgruntled-looking Gamora the last time he had gone to visit them.

“You wanna take a closer look?” Gamora startled at the sound of Peter’s voice, realizing she had been lost in thought. “Come here, I’m not gonna bite,” he chuckled. Slowly, Gamora approached his bed, kneeling on the duvet so she could properly look. Her fingers traced carefully over the edges of what had to be at least a few dozen photos, surprised to spot herself in the majority of them.

There were several photos from when they were children, including one from the first week she and Nebula had moved into the neighborhood. It had been taken by Yondu, featuring a sullen-faced Gamora and Nebula, barely five years old, five-year-old Mantis with an incredibly awkward grimace in her attempt to smile, and seven-year-old Peter, an enthusiastic grin on his face, his arm slung around his sister’s shoulders. Other memories came back to her as her gaze traveled further - Yondu taking them all to the beach, where he’d captured the exact moment Peter had dumped sand all over some mean boy who had pulled on Mantis’s antennae; Peter after winning a costume competition in middle school, his grin wide despite his missing front teeth; and a group photo of them from Peter’s senior prom, where Mantis had somehow convinced Gamora to go, and Gamora, in turn, dragged Nebula along with her.

“Mantis wants to get me a going-away present, even though I told her it’s not official yet, so we’re gonna head to the mall tomorrow. You in?”

Gamora turned away from the wall. “Considering my other option is to sit around the house with Yondu? Definitely,” she said dryly. Peter sat next to her, the bed dipping slightly as he did. “There must be something else Mantis had in mind.”

“Well, I have my last shift on Tuesday, and Mantis wants to do a group sleepover thing on Friday night, since I get the confirmation on Saturday morning,” he added. He grinned half-heartedly. “Bet you’ll be glad to finally be rid of me, hey?”

Gamora frowned. “Why would you think that?” At his downcast expression, she shuffled a little closer, awkwardly resting her hand on his arm. “I don’t hate you, Peter,” she said softly. “Granted, you aren’t exactly my favorite person in the world, either, but I definitely don’t hate you. I…” She trailed off, unsure of what she was going to say.

“Sooo, you’re saying you’re gonna miss me?” He grinned toothily. Gamora rolled her eyes so hard, she was pretty sure she pulled something.

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far,” she said, getting to her feet. “Goodnight, Peter.”

Peter chuckled to himself, shaking his head. “Night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some quick notes - _Who's The Boss?_ is the show that Alyssa Milano was on in the 80s, and Gamora's ex-boyfriend, Richard, is a reference to one of her most prominent relationships in the comics, Richard Rider aka Nova. He shows up in the next chapter and is mentioned every now and then throughout the fic, but he's just a random OC and is not meant to resemble Nova in any way!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You were always a big part of my life, and nothing’s gonna change that."

Gamora woke to the sound of Mantis cheerily singing along to some old love song that Peter liked to play for her (the walls of the house were a little thin for her liking) and a text alert, in which Nebula bluntly informed Gamora she had no interest in joining them on their excursion to the mall. Shrugging to herself - she hadn’t expected it, after all - Gamora got out of bed, surprised to find herself looking forward to starting the day.

“You never dry your hair properly,” Mantis complained when Peter wandered into the kitchen fifteen minutes later, dripping water all over the tile. Gamora quickly averted her eyes when she realized he was still shirtless - _really_? “Pe- _ter_.”

“That’s my name,” he said cheerfully, pulling his shirt over his head.

“What’s that?” Gamora asked before she could stop herself, leaning over the counter to prod at a two-inch scar along his abdomen. “Did you get into a fight?”

“Peter!” Mantis exclaimed again. “You should tell Drax to be more careful.”

Gamora glanced between the siblings. “Wait, am I missing something?”

“Peter has been training with Drax so he can pass the Corps physical. Which includes _combat practice_ ,” Mantis said, wrinkling her nose.

“Don’t be paranoid, Mantis, I’m fine,” Peter grumbled, yanking the hem of his shirt down to his hips. “For the record, I think it makes me look dangerous.”

“It makes you look _reckless_ ,” Gamora corrected him, snatching her bread out of the toaster.

“Well, you were lookin’ in the first place, weren’t you?” Peter grinned. Gamora had to bite her lip to stop herself from sticking her tongue out at him like a child.

They pulled into the mall parking lot an hour later, Peter and Mantis still arguing over the merits of Peter’s newfound hobby. Peter thought it was harmless, if a little painful at times, while Mantis was worried Peter was secretly getting involved in something dangerous and was trying to protect himself. “Tell him, Gamora!” Mantis begged as Peter put the car in park. “He won’t even listen to _me_ now.”

“You’re askin’ the wrong person, Mantis,” Peter chuckled. “Gamora’s been training too, remember?”

“I’m a better fighter than Drax,” Gamora snorted. “He’s probably teaching you incorrect form and technique, which is why you’re getting hurt.”

Peter turned around to look at her, slinging his arm over the back of Mantis’s headrest. “So why don’t _you_ teach me, then?”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Gamora frowned.

“Aw, c’mon, Gamora.” He pouted at her exaggeratedly. “For me?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “We’ll meet you at the food court in a few hours,” she replied testily, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. “Let’s _go_ , Mantis.”

Once the girls headed inside and grabbed some coffee (Gamora had learned the hard way back in freshman year to never expect Mantis to spend any less than three hours in the mall, so caffeine was a necessity), Mantis couldn’t help but elbow Gamora playfully. “You know, I would not mind if _you_ were the one teaching Peter. I do adore Drax, but he is much too...enthusiastic. I worry that he is trying to get Peter into competitive wrestling with him, and I do not think it would be a suitable career path for Peter.”

“What did Peter even want to study, anyways? He applied to all those schools, why didn’t he try again after Yondu recovered?” Gamora asked.

“Education,” Mantis replied. “He thinks he would be a good teacher, especially for young children.”

“He is quite the child himself,” Gamora agreed, taking a long sip of her iced coffee.

“I’m not sure why Peter didn’t try again,” Mantis admitted. “Maybe he was worried that Yondu was going to get sick again, and thought it would be better to stay home. Besides, there are a lot of people from our town who never went to college.”

“We don’t exactly have a great track record for graduates around here,” Gamora pointed out. “It’s not surprising if he decided to give up after the first attempt.”

“I never thought of Peter as a quitter,” Mantis said defensively. “More like...he gets distracted easily. Maybe something else caught his attention.” She smiled. “When we were children, he told me _all_ about his life plan. What he wanted to do, where he wanted to live, who he wanted to marry, how many kids he would have - ”

“He thought of all this when he was a _kid_?” Gamora said disbelievingly. “And, what, he had a specific person in mind?”

Mantis giggled impishly. “Oh, yes, very much so. I think that is the one part of his ‘plan’ that has never changed.”

Gamora chewed her straw absent-mindedly as she racked her brain for who it could be. Peter never seemed like the ‘commitment’ type, in almost _any_ aspect of his life. Mantis was right; Peter wasn’t a quitter, but he wasn’t exactly a ‘starter’, either. He never had much of a stable relationship, an extracurricular or a hobby that he really stuck to; even his tastes in things like clothing and food evolved over the years. His only constants were simple - family, music, and Yondu’s store. In every other way, Peter was a bit of a wild card, and she couldn’t possibly see him picking a single girl and deciding she was it; she was the one.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Gamora looked back to Mantis. “So, what are you getting him?”

“I had a _suuuper_ good idea,” Mantis beamed, looping her arm with Gamora’s. “I thought Peter would really like to have a mixtape from everyone he is close to, as a way to remember them by. I have song lists from almost everybody except you.”

“Me?” Gamora was startled at the thought. “Mantis, Peter and I aren’t very close at all.”

“Do not lie to me, Gamora, it doesn’t work,” Mantis protested, her antennae waving at her almost tauntingly. Though Mantis sometimes used her emotion-controlling powers on Gamora as a last resort, she had promised to never “read” her feelings, knowing Gamora kept things close to her chest. “The only person who gets out of this is Drax since he _hates_ music, but you do not. So, we are going to go to the record store, and _you_ are going to pick out five songs that remind you of Peter.”

“ _Five_?” The idea was sounding more ludicrous by the second. “Mantis - ”

“Please,” Mantis begged, clutching at Gamora’s arm with her free hand. “It will not be as meaningful of a gift if I do not have songs from you. Peter cares about you, a _lot_. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

Gamora internally sighed. _That_ , she couldn’t deny. Though Peter was like an annoying itch she couldn’t scratch, he was also the one who snuck extra gummies in his lunch box for her when Tanak went through his “no-sugar” phase, who drove her to and from school every day for three years, who helped her pack for college and promised to be just a phone call away if she ever needed someone to talk to, who attempted to beat the crap out of her ex-boyfriend when he’d spread some less-than-savory rumors about her around town. The last part hadn’t worked out so well for Peter, considering Gamora was much more an effective fighter than he would ever be, so really, _she_ had been the one to intimidate her ex, but it was the thought that counted. As far as Gamora could tell, Peter thought of her as another little sister of his - someone he liked to poke and tease at, but at the end of the day, was someone he would always look out for.

“Fine,” Gamora said. “But only because I know you’re going to bother me about it forever if I don’t.”

Mantis cheered loudly, startling some of the nearby mall patrons, before grabbing Gamora’s hand and promptly dragging her towards the record store.

* * *

Mantis and Gamora left the store two hours later, Gamora feeling oddly nervous as Mantis slid the receipt into her bag. Her selection felt a little more personal than she had intended, though maybe that was Mantis’s entire point. There were things Gamora sometimes thought about Peter or even considered outright telling him that she could never put into words. Maybe that was what Peter loved about music, having that whole other level of expression beyond his own mind and vocabulary. Then again, he had never been one to shy away from expressing himself, so maybe Gamora was just projecting. She shook herself a little as they approached Peter’s table in the food court, hoping she didn’t look as tumultuous as she felt.

Peter was lounging at one of the largest round tables in the entire area, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His feet were kicked up on its surface, headphones snugly in place over his ears as they so often were, his head bobbing along to whatever it was he was listening to. “We’re going to _eat_ on this table, Peter,” Gamora chastised, swatting his feet away. He only grinned at her in response, pulling his headphones down to his shoulders and straightening up.

“Hey, you guys aren’t carrying any bags,” he observed.

“Your present is special order,” Mantis explained with a mischievous grin. “I will be picking it up right before the sleepover on Friday. Did you not go shopping yourself?”

“Didn’t see a point in buying new stuff if I’m gonna be training for fourteen hours a day for two years,” Peter shrugged as the girls sat down. “I got clean underwear. What else do I need?”

Gamora grimaced at the mental image while Mantis prodded him under the table with her foot. “That’s not good enough,” Mantis protested. “You at least need new boots and some clothes for training. Your shoes are so _gross_.” Peter merely laughed in response, as if he _hadn’t_ worn through the soles of his ratty old boots, his shoelaces crusted with dirt from that one particularly rainy springtime a few years back. “I will go get us food. Gamora, _you_ tell him.”

“Your shoes are disgusting,” Gamora informed him once Mantis walked away, but Peter only laughed louder like she had told some hilarious joke.

“I mean, if you really think so,” he said, still chuckling as he leaned forwards onto the table, his face coming dangerously close to hers. He tilted his head consideringly. “ _And_ new clothes?”

“You’re going to need _something_ to wear other than that jacket of yours,” Gamora teased. It was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate when he was looking at her so intently, the greens of his eyes particularly bright, twinkling with mirth.

“C’mon, Gamora, this is my whole look. Where would I be without it?” he smirked. Suddenly, he sat up, his eyes flickering over Gamora’s shoulder. “Richard,” he said warily. Gamora shuddered involuntarily at the sudden iciness in his tone.

“Quill.” Gamora turned slowly to stare into the face of her ex, her heart pounding with a sudden rush of anxiety upon seeing him. He looked almost the same - a little taller, maybe, his hair cropped a bit shorter. He was still wearing his blue-and-yellow letterman jacket as if they were still in high school. “Why am I not surprised to see you here with Gamora?”

“She and my sister are back in town. I’m leaving for Nova Corps training soon, so they’re here to hang out with me for my last week on Xandar,” Peter said cooly, narrowing his eyes.

“Do you need something, Richard?” Gamora sighed. She was already through with this conversation, and it had only been about thirty seconds since it started. “Because if you don’t, I suggest you move right along.”

He held up his hands in defeat, though the condescending smirk on his face said otherwise. “Just wanted to say hi. You’re never in town anymore, Gamora, I thought we could catch up. But obviously, you’ve got better things to do.” He turned as if to walk away, though Gamora knew better. That couldn’t possibly be it, not when he’d spent the last three months of their senior year dragging her name through the mud. “Like finally getting to screw Quill before he leaves.”

Gamora could vaguely hear Peter sputtering behind her, but all she could _see_ was red. She shot up instantly, and in two quick strides, decked him across the face with a clenched fist. He practically flew sideways from the sheer force of her punch before crumpling onto the sticky linoleum floor, the lower half of his face obscured by the blood dripping out of his nose. “ _Shit_ , Gamora!” he shouted. “You frickin’ _bitch_ \- ”

“Don’t you ever use that word on me, or _anyone_ , for that matter, ever again,” Gamora hissed. She turned, suddenly remembering Peter was standing right behind her. He looked vaguely terrified, but more impressed than anything. It was then that she also saw the mall security guard approaching them, and -

“You should’ve called him a dick,” Peter commented. He and Gamora were now leaning against Peter’s Mustang in the parking lot, waiting for Mantis, who was currently in the mall’s security office, begging them to let Peter and Gamora back inside. “Y’know, because he actually is one.” He paused. “Because ‘dick’ is a nickname for - ”

“I’m aware,” Gamora interrupted tersely. A few people walking by were starting to stare at her, whispering to each other. Although the town had expanded significantly in the two years she’d been gone, it was still the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else, the kind of place where everyone had heard all the awful lies Richard had spread about her that led to their breakup. Her breaking his nose was only going to make things worse, but frankly, she couldn’t give a damn at this point - this wasn’t her home anymore. This was just a place where she used to live. “And out of all the things for him to taunt me with, it’s always the same old story. He’s _always_ been paranoid that I was having sex with you behind his back.”

“To be fair, he wasn’t the only one who thought we were sleeping together,” Peter reminded her. “There were guys in my year that thought you were friends with Mantis so you could get to me.”

“That sounds like your kind of rumor,” Gamora said, rolling her eyes. “And I’ve been friends with Mantis since we were _five_ , how does that make any sense?”

“Yeah, they don’t exactly got their heads on straight,” Peter snorted. “For the record, I told ‘em to screw off. _Especially_ the ones who asked for your number after I told them we weren’t.”

“And Mantis wonders why I’ve sworn off relationships,” Gamora muttered. When Peter looked at her curiously, she sighed, knowing inevitably, she would have to come clean. “Peter...I made up that story about having a new boyfriend. I’m not even sure why I said it.”

“You wanted me outta there,” Peter shrugged. “Whatever, I get it. I’m just an annoying big brother you never asked for.”

“You are _not_ my brother, Peter,” Gamora said, wrinkling her nose in distaste. “You’re just...you’re you.”

“You say that like it means something,” Peter chuckled.

Gamora smiled up at him then, her gaze softening. “It does,” she said quietly.

Before Peter could respond, Mantis practically burst through the doors with a loud bang, her face scrunched up in frustration. “I _hate_ Richard,” she said tetchily. It was so uncharacteristically angry of her that Peter couldn’t help but snicker into his hand. “He is threatening legal action against you, Gamora. The mall security do not want to get involved, so they refuse to let either of you back in.”

“What? I didn’t do nothing!” Peter exclaimed.

Gamora glared at him. “Not helpful, Peter,” she snapped, before turning back to Mantis. “I don’t care about going back inside, but is he _actually_ going to sue? I don’t exactly have the money, time, _or_ patience to deal with this.”

“Please, that jerk’s all talk and no action,” Peter scoffed. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. C’mon, we can head to that new strip mall on 67th. They’ve got a huge thrift store with tons of cool junk.”

“Peter - ”

“Why worry about it when it’s not gonna happen?” Peter said, clapping both the girls on their shoulders. “For now...I heard I need a new wardrobe.”

* * *

Mantis seemed to have cooled off by the time they pulled up to the thrift store, her typical cheerful grin firmly back in place as she zipped through its excessively overstuffed aisles of clothing. Peter and Gamora stayed closer to the doors, occasionally seeing Mantis’s antennae bobbing over the clothing racks. “You never _did_ explain why you wanted to become a Nova officer,” Gamora commented. “If it were me, and I was weighing the pros and cons...I just feel like you’ll be losing a lot more than what you’ll gain.”

“What do you mean?” Peter said curiously.

“You’re leaving behind the things you value most,” Gamora shrugged. “Friends and family...your job...your freedom. When we were children, the last thing you wanted to do was answer to anyone. Why start now?”

“The thing is, I think I knew more about what I wanted when I was a kid than I do now,” Peter confessed. “As a kid, it’s easy, you know? You dream of being like, a pirate, or an astronaut, just something super cool and unrealistic, ‘cos it doesn’t matter yet. Now, it’s like...growing up in this town, where nothing ever happens, I don’t have a ton of options. At least joining the Nova Corps gets me away from here.”

“But there are better ways of doing that,” Gamora frowned. “Why not go to school, or travel on your own? You make a surprisingly decent amount of money, all things considered.”

“It’s hard to explain to someone like you,” Peter said thoughtfully. At her offended expression, he hastily added, “I mean that in a good way! You’ve always been super smart, athletic, hard-working. People like that kinda thing when it comes to jobs, relationships. Someone reliable, and committed, and...y’know, things like that. But I’m just the guy that’s fun to hang out with, and never gets taken seriously.”

“For all your...quirks, you’re capable of far more than you give yourself credit for,” Gamora said. “I just feel like you should’ve considered all your options before going for the most extreme choice. You’ve always been spontaneous, Peter, and I admire that about you, but this isn’t something you should handle lightly.”

Peter looked at her with a gentle grin, almost teasing. “You trying to get me to stay?”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Gamora said dryly. “Do whatever you think is best, Peter, but...don’t minimize what this will mean to Yondu. To your sister.”

Peter squinted at Gamora inquisitively, his head tilting very slightly as he did. Gamora shivered a little under his scrutiny. Almost too often, it seemed like the things she said went right over his head, but other times, times like this, it was like he could see right through her. She supposed there were things he knew about her that no one else did, secrets that her ex didn’t know, that Mantis didn’t know, things that even _Nebula_ had no clue about. Peter had always been easy to confide in, especially when they were younger and spent every single day in each other’s company. He was overbearing and loud and larger-than-life, but in the quiet, almost intimate moments where they were alone, it was like he could read her mind. Gamora began to worry that right here, right now, was another one of those times.

“I knew it. You _are_ gonna miss me,” Peter declared.

Gamora bit back the urge to elbow him. “Does it matter if I do?”

Peter smiled. “Well, I know _I’m_ gonna miss you. A lot. It’d just kinda suck if the feeling wasn’t mutual.”

Gamora inhaled sharply, turning away from him. The playful glint in his eyes was becoming too much for her, his honesty a little too much to bear. Luckily for her, Mantis, who had unusually good timing as of late, came jogging back with an armful of clothing and a sunny smile. “Peter, are you ready?”

Peter’s face fell a little as he turned to look at Mantis. “Guess so.” He quickly brushed past them towards the changing rooms without another glance. Mantis looked at Gamora quizzically, who only shrugged in response.

He seemed to recover not too long after, though, his oddly quiet demeanor fading away in favor of tossing his jacket to Gamora. She let out a startled noise - it was heavier than she expected - and looked up at his smirking face. “Since you hate the jacket so damn much. Hold it for me?”

“I don’t _hate_ it, I just think it’s inappropriate for combat,” Gamora countered, shuffling it around in her arms. It was almost weighing her down with its considerably thick leather and tough inner lining.

“Oh yeah? Then put it on and try a few moves, see what you think,” Peter challenged. He turned away to pull his T-shirt over his head as he stepped into the changing stall. Gamora’s eyes flickered briefly to the light dusting of freckles across his back before shedding her own jacket and pulling his on, not wanting to admit defeat.

Mantis seemed delighted by their exchange, immediately grabbing Gamora by the arm and leading her over to the mirror on the opposite wall. In the reflection, Gamora could vaguely see Peter hadn’t bothered closing the curtain of his changing room and was now taking his pants off, too. She wasn’t sure why she was seeing more of him than she wanted to, but he seemed like more of an exhibitionist than usual.

“Red really does suit you very much,” Mantis decided. “Maybe you should get one of your own.”

Gamora stared at herself in the mirror, strangely fascinated by the way it fit. Peter had been a skinny child, all long limbs and sharp elbows and knees, so it had been a bit of a surprise to everyone when he hit puberty and shot up before their eyes. Now, he was built like an athlete, broad and stocky and _tall_. Gamora had been taller than him through middle school (much to his chagrin), but by the time she entered high school, he towered over her. He also started going to the gym on a regular basis, resulting in thick, wiry muscle that admittedly was quite something to look at. Peter’s jacket reflected it quite well - the hem was at Gamora’s mid-thigh, the sleeves falling far past her fingertips, and the shoulders dropped far from her slender frame, fabric bunching up at her elbows.

Suddenly, it felt too intimate for her. Gamora had never worn Richard’s letterman jacket in high school, despite all the cliches that it came with that he so treasured and she saw no value in. He had asked her time and time again if she would, only to be spurned by her insisting it wasn’t necessary. “There’s some guys out there who are really into you, baby,” Richard would say. “I just want ‘em to know you’re not available.”

“How about you trust me to say so for myself?” she would reply.

“You ever tell Quill that?”

It seemed that a lot of their relationship problems had stemmed from Richard’s weird hatred of Peter. It was like he thought of Peter as a rival for her affections, despite her telling him repeatedly that their relationship wasn’t like that. And yet, not once had she ever worn any of Richard’s clothes, but now, here she was, wearing Peter’s jacket and finding it oddly comforting.

 _You’re overthinking it_ , she told herself sternly, hastily shrugging it off. She tossed the jacket back to Mantis before mumbling about finding the bathroom, taking off down the aisle at a near-sprint.

* * *

They returned to the house in the late afternoon, having bought nearly everything Mantis had picked out for Peter. Gamora had given little to no input the entire time, stating that Peter looked no different in any of the clothes he had tried on (though there was one heather gray T-shirt she’d been particularly fond of, one that hugged him a little tighter in the chest and shoulders than the others, not that she said anything). After dinner with Yondu and Nebula, who both got incredibly riled up when Gamora mentioned offhand that they had run into Richard, everyone disappeared into their own rooms. That is, until Peter decided to go knocking on Gamora’s door.

“I didn’t get to see what this looked like on you,” he teased, holding up his jacket. “Was I right?”

“You fixate on the strangest things,” Gamora sighed, shutting her book and sliding off her bed. Peter internally flinched, half-expecting her to slam her door in his face, but she instead aggressively snatched the jacket out of his hands and practically yanked it back on, causing the seams to make some distressing noises.

Peter stepped back a little so he could observe her, swallowing thickly at the sight. There was an odd juxtaposition of his jacket against her T-shirt and sweatpants, the sharp, decisive angles of the leather against the soft fluidity of the cotton. He supposed it was a bit of a reflection of their own personalities, too, though in opposite directions. Gamora had always been the thinker in their group of misfits, while Peter was the doer; she was a meticulous planner who valued rational thought over emotion, while he was often emotionally volatile, jumping in with both feet.

However, Peter also knew he was only one of three people who knew Gamora as well as he did, that her emotional detachment was something of a protective mechanism for her, even when they were children. At school, Peter would hear other boys talking about her, saying she was beautiful but difficult, unattainable, like she was some prize to be won instead of a person to be loved. Girls would often say the same thing, that she was unfriendly except to those she already cared about. He felt privileged, in a way, to see the calmer, sweeter, gentler side of her, the side of her that wore sweatpants and reminisced over old photos with him and teased him about his clothes. The one who came home with him for the week despite claiming they weren’t close, just because he wanted her to be there.

“Are you happy now?” Gamora squinted at him, annoyed. “Peter? I said, are you - ”

“Sorry, spaced out for a second.” He smiled as he took another step forward to help smooth out her shoulders. He ducked his head slightly, his nose nearly brushing her temples. “You’d look pretty badass if you had one of your own.”

“Mantis said the same thing,” Gamora said evenly, though her heart skipped involuntarily as she lifted her head. Peter was standing much closer than she realized.

“Hey, uh...I’m sorry about Richard,” Peter murmured. “I mean, I know I can be a dick sometimes, but he _really_ \- the things he said about you, back then _and_ now...how he could’ve possibly thought all that crap he did to you was okay…”

“He liked the idea of me more than how much he actually liked me. If he liked me at all.” Gamora moved away once more, the back of her knees hitting the bed. She sank onto the mattress, staring down at her lap. “Peter, when you said you were going to miss me...what did you mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” he shrugged, sitting on the floor in front of her.

“Okay, then _why_ are you going to miss me? I haven’t exactly been kind to you these past couple years,” Gamora pointed out.

“You’re my friend,” Peter said simply. “And yeah, okay, maybe you’re a little...standoffish sometimes. But you were always a big part of my life, and nothing’s gonna change that. We grew up together, we saw the good, bad, and ugly, even if we didn’t really want to. You’re...you’re important to me, Gamora. I wouldn’t have invited you to come back with Mantis if you weren’t. So...yeah, I’m gonna miss you.”

Gamora took a moment to ponder as she slowly got off the bed, sitting on the floor beside him. Peter shivered a little at the feeling of his own jacket brushing against his bare arm, resisting the urge to turn around and observe how it swallowed up Gamora’s relatively slender frame, how the collar brushed up against the underside of her jawline. “You know what? It isn’t half-bad.” She held up her arm so the sleeve would fall away from her wrists, exposing her hands as she turned them over slowly.

Peter smiled. “Then why don’t you keep it?”

“Keep it?” Gamora furrowed her brow in confusion. “You mean until the end of the week?”

“No, like... _actually_ keep it. It’s not like I’ll have a ton of chances to wear it, anyways,” he shrugged.

“Peter, I couldn’t possibly - ”

“Hey,” he interrupted softly, reaching to rest a hand on her knee. His hand seemed impossibly large compared to the span of her leg. She shivered. “It looks pretty damn cool on you, and it’s not like I don’t have other clothes to wear. Besides...it’ll give me a reason to come back.”

Peter’s eyes met hers, soft and genuine. A moment of silence passed before Gamora found herself turning away from the intensity of his gaze, her stomach aching with something unidentifiable. Something told her it wasn’t just the jacket he was talking about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As mentioned before, Gamora's ex-boyfriend, Richard, is a reference to one of her most prominent relationships in the comics, Richard Rider aka Nova, but it's simply an in-name reference and is not meant to resemble Nova in any way!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Peter...I hope whoever it is...I hope that you can tell her someday.”

Gamora moved sluggishly as she got dressed in the morning, knowing she was going to be spending the entire day at Yondu’s pawn shop with Nebula, Mantis, and Peter. For the most part, it didn’t matter what she was wearing; she was going to be sprawled across that old couch that was bursting at the seams, playing around on her phone all day, and no one was going to spare her more than a cursory glance as they passed through. Still, as she pulled on her usual T-shirt and jeans, something told her to grab the newest addition to her wardrobe in lieu of her usual outerwear of choice.

She stared at herself in the dusty mirror as she hefted Peter’s jacket over her shoulders, hating how she liked how much it looked. The fact he had parted with it so easily as a gift to her only made her feel worse about how she’d been treating Peter as of late. He had never given his jacket to any of the girls he’d been with (beyond letting them wear it while he walked them to his car). Yet, here she was, wearing something that had been part of Peter’s identity since he turned fifteen and had hit that massive growth spurt, resulting in Yondu giving him a brand-new jacket to christen him as an honorary Ravager. Gamora let out a tiny, hysterical laugh to herself at the thought of what would happen if she ran into anyone they knew, or god forbid, her ex-boyfriend once again, while wearing the jacket. It was a petty thought, but Gamora couldn’t help but revel in the idea.

The four of them piled into Peter’s Mustang, with Mantis riding shotgun, and Gamora and Nebula in the backseat. Gamora couldn’t help but glance over at Nebula constantly during the ride. Nebula was texting rapidly despite the fact that, as far as Gamora knew, she had no friends outside of their own ragtag group.

“Do you need something?” Nebula huffed after what had to be the twelfth time Gamora’s head had turned in her direction.

“I was just curious,” Gamora said defensively. “Who are you talking to, Neb?”

“I have a better question,” Nebula smirked, setting her phone down in her lap. “Why are you wearing Quill’s jacket?”

“Oh, I can answer this one,” Peter piped up, glancing at the girls through the rearview mirror. “I gave it to her.”

Nebula’s sly expression only intensified. “And she accepted? Interesting.” Gamora elbowed her before she could comment further.

It got increasingly uncomfortable for Gamora when they arrived at the shop, standing around outside with Drax, Groot, and Rocket as Peter unlocked the door. “What’s with the jacket?” Rocket said, poking at her elbow curiously.

“Yes, it’s Peter’s jacket, can we move on?” Gamora said testily, practically shoving her way into the store.

She and Mantis took up their usual seats on the couch, sprawled lengthwise across from each other, while Nebula sat on the floor by Gamora’s head, her eyes still glued to her phone screen. The boys dispersed throughout the store, preparing to open, except for Peter, who crouched down beside Gamora.

“Hey,” he murmured. “For the record, I think it’s awesome that you’re wearing it, but if you wanna ditch it so the others stop being big jerks, that’s okay, too. I won’t get mad or anything.”

“And give them the satisfaction of knowing they got to me? I don’t think so,” Gamora huffed.

“Well, _there’s_ the stubborn Gamora I know and - anyways.” Peter coughed, straightening up. “Uh, Drax, dude, that doesn’t go there - ”

Peter quickly jogged away before Gamora could discern his meaning, though her heart thumped in anticipation at what it could have been. She glanced across the couch at Mantis, who only wriggled her antennae at her playfully before turning back to the book she’d brought with her, a giant smile on her face.

The morning passed by much slower than it had when they were last here two days ago, now that everyone had caught up on the latest in each other’s rather uneventful lives. Gamora couldn't help but reminisce about the days where they passed the time with homework, or perhaps more accurately, gossip. When Mantis’s abilities got a bit out of hand, or when she was feeling mischievous, she would learn a little _too_ much about their classmates sometimes, mentioning every now and then who seemed to be attracted to who, or who secretly _hated_ who. It was how they had uncovered Drax’s feelings for his now-girlfriend, and Gamora’s secret attraction to Richard, not that _that_ had ended successfully. Mantis did it far less these days, knowing how much the others valued their privacy, but she still couldn’t help but comment on it every now and then.

“You are conflicted,” Mantis said thoughtfully after Peter left to get food. “Something is bothering you, Gamora.”

“Mantis,” Gamora warned.

“I know I was the one who asked you to come here,” Mantis continued, a little sadly. “But I thought you would at least want to see the rest of our friends. You _are_ enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Gamora admitted. “College is...manageable, but it never felt like the fresh start I always wanted. Like part of me is always going to belong here, as much as I _hate_ being here. I suppose it’s the people that make it bearable, not the place.”

“It means a lot to Peter that you came back,” Mantis said softly. She set her book down, reaching across to pat Gamora’s thigh. “Even if you didn’t do it for him, but for me.”

“He told me as much,” Gamora replied. At the other girl’s inquisitive expression, she sighed, relenting. If anyone could help her deal with the turmoil brewing inside of her head, it would be Mantis. “Mantis...can I tell you something?”

“Of course!” Mantis exclaimed, sitting up. “What is it?”

Gamora chewed her lip thoughtfully in careful consideration of what to say. It wasn’t exactly casual conversation she was going for; it felt more like a confession. “When we were children, I never questioned why I liked spending time with you. You were shy, but you were always cheerful. I knew that you made me happy because you _were_ happy. But...I never understood why you, or _anyone_ , really, liked being around _me_. I was always...angry, and confrontative, and unpredictable. I got better as we got older, but it was like I already had a lifetime’s worth of rage inside me. All because of my first few years with Thanos.”

“I could sense you needed a friend,” Mantis said simply. “You needed someone who would care about you and be there for you. Nebula, too. I wanted you both to feel...less sad. Less guilty. And that you would stop believing that being taken by Thanos was your own fault.”

Gamora inhaled sharply. That had always been one of her greatest woes - why her, of all people? Why did Thanos choose her? She shook off the train of thought, though, knowing it was too dark of a question, even for right now. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I tried my best to a good friend to you, but I was never very nice to Peter, and he still treated me with kindness. He told me last night that I was always going to be a big part of his life, but I don’t understand why...and I don’t know how to tell him that. I just...I don’t want him to leave thinking that our relationship is so one-sided, that I think so little of him.”

Mantis smiled. “I think he understands, Gamora. We all know you are not comfortable with expressing your feelings so openly. And that is okay. We can’t all be empaths,” she added, giggling.

Gamora chuckled softly in relief. “And I am thankful _every_ day that I’m not.”

Once Peter returned with food, it delved into a noisy, chatty affair as everyone attempted to talk over each other and fight over the various takeout containers. About twenty minutes into their lunch break, however, they were interrupted by Peter’s phone going off. “Dammit,” he mumbled to himself as he scanned his messages. “Guys, Yondu’s askin’ for a favor.”

“What’s it gotta do with us?” Rocket scoffed.

“Nothin’, really, except I gotta head out for a few hours and leave the store to you,” Peter retorted. “Unhappy customer wants his engine looked at by the guy who sold it to him, which would be me. I could use some company if I’m gonna be stuck in someone’s garage, though. Any takers?”

Mantis gently prodded Gamora’s side with her foot, looking at her knowingly. Gamora shot her a warning glare in return, but to her dismay, she knew that Mantis was on to something.

“I could use a change of scenery,” Gamora volunteered, getting to her feet. Everyone turned to look at her in confusion. Even Peter seemed to take it as a pleasant surprise. “When do we leave?”

He grinned, gesturing towards the door. “After you.”

* * *

They had only been on the road for a few minutes in comfortable silence - well, aside from Peter’s music streaming through the car’s speakers as always - when Gamora first spoke. “So, what exactly is this about? I would’ve thought a faulty engine would mean a call to a repair shop, not Yondu’s.”

“Well, I sort of...lied,” Peter said, wincing. “It’s not ‘some customer’, it’s Stakar.”

Gamora narrowed her eyes. “The man who rescued Yondu from the Kree? Isn’t he basically your grandfather?”

“Pretty much, not that I wanted a grandpa who goes around stealin’ shit and growlin’ orders at people all day,” Peter grumbled. “I don’t mind him, but he scares Mantis, even now. He’s not a bad dude, just...intimidating. Probably better that you came along instead of her.”

“I doubt he’ll scare me,” Gamora agreed, tapping her fingers idly along the windowsill. Peter chuckled, glancing over at her for a moment before turning back to the road.

They pulled up to the curb beside Stakar’s house soon after. Gamora grabbed the toolbox from the backseat as Peter jogged up the drive to meet Stakar at the entrance of his garage. As she followed, despite her confidence, Gamora could vaguely remember what it had been like to encounter Stakar as a young girl, to see this large, grizzled man with a guttural growl and a permanently stern expression, hanging around in Yondu’s kitchen every now and then. Mantis would call Gamora’s house and ask her to come over and keep her company, as Yondu would often bring Peter out to chat with Stakar, while Mantis hid out in her bedroom from “the big man”. He was an imposing figure in their childhood, yes, but Gamora supposed after having to live with Thanos for a brief period of her life, there wasn’t much that could scare her anymore.

“Stakar!” Peter extended his hand to meet the older man’s firm grip, clapping him on the back with his other hand in greeting. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“And not under good circumstances, son,” Stakar grouched, gesturing towards the clunky ship behind him that looked about one strong breeze away from crumbling to dust. “You call this a good engine? I’ve seen _Ravagers_ with more gas in ‘em than this piece of crap.”

“I’m on it,” Peter promised. “I even brought an assistant today. You remember Gamora, right?” Gamora gave Stakar a strained smile in lieu of a verbal greeting, her grip on the toolbox tightening as he looked her up and down.

“Oh, sure,” Stakar said, nodding at her. “You’re the little girl with the pigtails, the one that lives across the street. You working now, Gamora?”

“College, actually,” Gamora replied, relaxing. She felt guilty for assuming the worst of Stakar. “But I’m back for the week since Peter’s leaving soon.”

“Right, right. Nova Corps. Never thought you’d wanna be a cop, boy,” Stakar said, shaking his head in Peter’s direction. “Especially with ol’ Yondu raising you. Where’d he go wrong, huh?” He chortled, mostly to himself, before moving over to the ship and popping the engine hood open. An alarming amount of steam hissed out, causing him to delve into a coughing fit.

“I’ve got my reasons,” Peter protested.

“Yeah?” Stakar let out one last hacking cough. “Knowin’ you, son, I’d bet all the units I got that you’re just trying to impress a girl.” His piercing gaze flickered over to Gamora. “Unless _you’re_ his girl now.”

“We’re just friends,” Peter interjected quickly.

“You sure? She’s wearin’ your jacket,” Stakar snorted, slamming the hood shut. “I didn’t share nothin’ with my Aleta until we were living on the same ship. Giving her my Ravager jacket woulda been like asking her to marry me - ”

“Can we see the engine?” Gamora interrupted sharply. “Peter has to get back to the store as soon as possible, or the others will run it into the ground. Yondu wouldn’t be too pleased.”

To her annoyance, Stakar merely let out a hearty laugh. “You got some attitude, girl. I see why Peter wants to impress you.”

“I’m not - ”

“The engine’s all busted. Rotting away like it don’t got anything better to do.” Stakar rapped his knuckles against the hood, causing it to echo persistently. “I’m heading out on a month-long job next week. Needed an extra ship for some of the new recruits under Martinex’s thumb. You think any of ‘em are gonna be happy about gettin’ a broken ship, Quill?”

“No, Stakar,” Peter sighed, rolling up his sleeves. “Like I said, I - _we_ \- are on it. I’ll come get you when we’re done.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Stakar nodded, straightening up. “But no funny business, alright? I got cameras in here.” He gestured vaguely into the corners of the garage before lumbering off into the house, shaking his head in amusement. Peter could only splutter nonsense after him until the door slammed shut.

“He’s exactly as I remembered him,” Gamora said dryly as she and Peter settled in next to the ship. “Charming.”

“Yeah, well, at least he’s harmless.” Peter picked up a screwdriver and began poking around inside. The engine appeared to be leaking oil. “But hey, this’ll be just like old times. Remember in your junior and senior year, whenever Nebula had detention - which was basically all the time - and Mantis went to hang out with someone else? You’d be at the shop or stuck in the garage with me while I worked on the Milano.”

“Yes, and you managed to convince me to watch subpar Terran television dramas and break into Yondu’s booze stash,” Gamora retorted, though she smiled at the memory. Upon reflection, she _had_ spent hours alone in Peter’s company, and it had never felt contrived, nor boring. It made less and less sense to her now, her animosity towards him after leaving for college. It was certainly undeserved.

“Subpar? I take offense to that.” Peter interrupted himself with a yelp when the engine began to shoot off sparks. “Oh, c’mon, what the hell did I sell to Stakar? This thing’s gonna explode before I even get anywhere.”

“Is it odd that I miss those days?” Gamora chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip as she passed him a pair of pliers. “They always say college is the beginning of true self-discovery, but...for better or for worse, I think my journey happened in this awful town. My favorite memories and my favorite people...they’re all here.”

“You’re feelin’ oddly nostalgic,” Peter commented, furrowing his brow at her. “You on something? Recreational, I mean.”

“No,” Gamora frowned. “I was talking to Mantis earlier, and she comes back to visit far more often than I do, so I suppose she doesn’t notice how things have changed or remained the same. I guess being able to step away from this place and come back to it makes me reflect on the kind of person I am. The kind of person I could have been had I remained with Thanos. And the kind of people I surround myself with.”

“I feel like you’re trying to tell me something.” Peter turned away from the engine, settling down on the top step of the stepladder, gazing at her intently. “What is it, Gamora?”

Gamora took a deep breath in anticipation, mulling over what she wanted to say. Words had never been her strong point; emotions even less so. One of Peter’s biggest strengths was his ability to express himself, both good and bad, so it felt like a bit of a farce trying to talk to him about her own feelings. “I don’t waste time with people I don’t care for. You know that. The moment Richard spurned me, I burned that bridge down. The others who spread rumors, I cut them out of my life. I don’t have the patience to let them ask for forgiveness, not when I’ve already decided that they don’t deserve it.”

Peter shivered a little. “And yet, you hang out with _me_.”

Gamora sighed, regretful. “That’s my point, Peter. I never appreciated your companionship when we were younger, which is why I came back this week. I told myself it was because I wanted to prove you wrong, that I _would_ skip out on class, but...it was mostly because I knew I’d been unfair to you. We grew up together, and yet I treated you like a stranger.”

He nodded thoughtfully, letting her words ruminate in his head. “For the record, I never held it against you or anything. You’ve been through a lot, even after...y’know. Besides, I was pretty good at bein’ a jerk too if it came down to it. I wouldn’t’ve blamed you if you cut me out of your life. Hell, I did a pretty decent job of pissing off everyone who ever gave a crap about me.”

“We were _all_ terrible people as teenagers,” Gamora reminded him. “Except Mantis, of course.”

“Mantis would never,” Peter agreed, chuckling.

“Anyways, what I’m trying to say is...everything you said last night...about why you were going to miss me...I share that sentiment, too. My life would be so different without you in it, Peter. So...yes. I am going to miss you.”

Peter smiled at her, soft and crooked and heart-meltingly warm. It was one of her favorite expressions on him, something genuine and affectionate that made her heart pulsate against her ribcage with joy. “I already knew you would. But it’s nice to hear you say it out loud.”

Gamora groaned, shaking her head as she turned away from him. “You’re incorrigible, Peter Quill.”

He only laughed in response, his grin growing even wider. “I have no clue what that means, but I hope it’s somethin’ good!” He turned back to the engine and began unceremoniously ripping out an alarming number of cables. “Also, I sort of lied to you last night.”

Gamora paused. “What?”

“Nothin’ bad,” he said reassuringly. “I just meant the part where I said you were my friend. Because honestly? You’re kind of one of my _best_ friends.”

“Then I must be your worst best friend,” Gamora concluded, though internally she was relieved and perhaps more than a little bit flattered. “We’ve hardly talked or spent time together since I left for school.”

“And that’s part of what you came back for, isn’t it? Just you and me, bonding...in Stakar’s garage,” Peter winced. “Okay, that last part kinda sucks. But hey, why don’t we watch a Terran movie tonight? My room? I’ve still got a few I never got to show you.”

* * *

Gamora crawled onto Peter’s bed, turning so her back was against the wall. She propped a pillow up to cushion her backside and began pulling her hair back into a messy bun, startling a little as her T-shirt fell away from her shoulder, exposing her bare skin. She hastily adjusted it before Peter could come back.

His room felt just as intimate as it had two nights ago, even more so now that she was properly sitting on his bed. Whenever they watched movies or television together when they were younger, it had always been in the den. Nowadays, it was Yondu who spent most of his nights in there, working overtime on business affairs while he had some late-night talk show running in the background as his only company. Gamora bounced a little, testing the lumpiness of the mattress, the itchiness of the sheets. There were stray strawberry-blond hairs strewn across Peter’s pillow, and he’d thrown his sweatshirt aside at the foot of the bed for later (“if _either_ of us get cold” were his exact words; the implication was clear).

Peter emerged from the bathroom moments later, now changed into his sleepclothes, and settled down next to her. He leaned around her to grab his tablet, his shoulder briefly brushing against her front as he did. She shivered involuntarily, still struck by how muscular he had gotten. Their friends, the boys especially, always liked to make fun of Peter for being lazy at times, a little unmotivated more often than not, but he wasn’t physically strong because of genetics - he had put in the work, and she could admire that, for one reason or another. Peter seemed to misinterpret her reaction, though. “Oh, sorry, did I just knock you over?”

“No, it’s...fine.” Gamora smiled. Peter could practically hear his own heartbeat pick up in realization that her face was startlingly close, her dark, liquid eyes staring back at him.

“O - okay, good.” He looked away to tap through a few menus on the tablet before pulling up a movie and projecting it onto the ceiling. He laid down, resting his head against the pillow and the tablet on his stomach, glancing over at her in confusion when she didn’t follow suit. “You’re gonna hurt your neck if you watch from there, Gamora,” he chuckled. “C’mon, join me. Promise I don’t got cooties.”

“Another one of your Terran childhood terms?” Gamora guessed as she reluctantly laid down beside him. She had to turn slightly onto her side so they could both fit, her body angled towards him. He only let out another soft laugh as the opening credits began to play.

They watched in relative silence as it continued on, Peter occasionally pausing the movie to explain a reference or some unusual Terran behavior that Gamora couldn’t quite follow. For Peter, she supposed, the experience was nostalgic for him in two different ways - watching this beloved movie of his from his boyhood, and spending time with her the way they had when they were younger. She had never been as sentimental as he was, but it was comforting to be here. It was comforting to be in Yondu’s shop, to be working with him on a broken-down ship, to be close to him. Familiarity like this - it wasn’t routine, it was home.

“Peter? Can I ask you something?”

“You already did,” he said jokingly. At her narrowed eyes, he winced. “Sorry, yeah, go ahead.”

“Why haven’t you ever gone back?”

“To Earth?” Peter swallowed. “I got nothin’ left for me there.”

“When we saw Stakar earlier today, I remembered how you once told me you were supposed to live with your grandfather after your mother passed away, had Yondu not taken you instead,” Gamora explained quietly. “You still have family there, don’t you?”

Peter twisted his mouth consideringly. “Sure. Grandparents, aunts and uncles. Probably cousins, too. But all the family I need is right here. And I’m not leaving this one for _that_ one. They stopped looking for me a _long_ time ago.”

“Still...they must mourn your loss.”

“And _my_ loss is what keeps me away,” Peter said forcefully. “I just...I can’t go back to the place where my mother died. I just can’t.”

Gamora looked at him sadly. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I should’ve known that would upset you. We can talk about something else.”

“Yeah, like what?” he mumbled.

She gestured up at the ceiling as the two leads wrapped themselves up in a passionate embrace. She fell silent for a moment as she watched, enraptured. She had never been kissed so dramatically before, could never recall a single time in which her ex had ever looked at her with such pure, unbridled joy. “What is it about Terran storytelling that makes it focus obsessively on romantic love? This might sound strange to you, but...the _romanticization_ of romance, in songs and movies and television, like it’s some all-encompassing feeling...the romantic gestures, the last-minute declarations, it all seems so exaggerated. Is there something so wrong about just _telling_ someone you like them? Why does it have to be an event, every single time?”

“I think...it’s the fear of not knowing,” Peter said thoughtfully.

“Not knowing what?”

“If the other person feels the same way.” He smiled half-heartedly. “You could be in love with someone, but have _no idea_ if they feel the same way. Sometimes that’s worse than just knowing that they don’t. And you don’t _ever_ wanna find out, because it would hurt too much to know for sure. I think that’s why people don’t say anything at all until the very end. Gives ‘em a chance to get away from everything if it all goes wrong. Lick their wounds, find ways to move on, that kinda thing.”

“So it’s a form of self-preservation, then,” Gamora mused. “I suppose I never thought of it that way. And I never thought _you_ were the type of person to hold your feelings close to your chest.”

“I didn’t say it had anything to do with _me_ ,” Peter said a little too quickly.

Gamora turned over again, resting her chin against his bicep, staring at him imploringly. Peter swallowed, sure that if she looked at him like that any longer, he would tell her anything and _everything_ she wanted to know. “You speak of it like you’ve had experience. Besides, Mantis told me yesterday that you had some big life plan that included the person you wanted to marry.”

“Sure, when I was a kid,” Peter mumbled. “It’s not something I really talk about with anyone, okay? Not even Mantis. So just let me have this one secret. Just _one_ thing.”

Sighing, Gamora withdrew, rolling onto her back once more. “Fine. But you’re making it difficult for me to fulfill my role as one of your best friends if you can’t confide in me at all.”

Peter chuckled. “I basically tell you everything else going on in my life. We’ll find some other personal issue of mine to hash out another time. I got a bunch of ‘em.”

“Okay,” she agreed softly. “And Peter...I hope whoever it is...I hope that you can tell her someday.”

As she focused on the movie, where the two romantic leads were falling into bed together, Peter’s eyes remained fixated on Gamora’s profile. His gaze traced the slope of her nose, the fullness of her mouth. She was gentle, relaxed, a stark contrast to her biting evasiveness of just four days ago when he’d first arrived at her dorm room. An ache seared through his chest from something he felt too cowardly to admit to out loud. “So do I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something about the idea of Stakar being Peter's grumpy grandpa is incredibly delightful to me and I have no idea why, but I hope it was for you, too! And even though this is definitely going to be the shortest multi-chapter fic I've written so far, the slow burn is still real.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What makes you so sure she doesn’t feel the same way?”

Peter stirred to the sound of a soft, almost musical laugh. It was familiar, comforting, and felt something entirely out of his own imagination. After all, why would he be waking up next to - “Oh, Peter. Go back to sleep, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He slowly turned his head, blinking blearily until her face came fully into focus. Her dark red hair was disheveled, her lips a little pale and cracked from having not had anything to drink in several hours, and her eyes were half-squinted as she adjusted to the light shifting in through the window above their heads. His breath caught in his throat. Somehow, despite knowing her for fifteen years, he still found himself taken aback by how beautiful she was. “Hey...you’re still here.”

“Yes, well, the mattress in the guest bedroom never did any favors for my back,” Gamora said lightly, turning back to her phone screen to look at whatever it was that had made her giggle. “I figured you wouldn’t mind. The bed is big enough for both of us, and you fell asleep long before I did.”

“Weird, I remember you bein’ out like a light the second it got dark when we were kids,” Peter commented. “Somethin’ on your mind?”

“You’ve only got a few days left here.” Gamora rolled onto her back, sinking into her pillow. “Yesterday was your last shift at Yondu’s store, _ever_. That must feel...unusual.”

“Hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Peter agreed. “I’ll probably drop in one last time before I leave town, but...I’m never gonna open that register again and get grossed out by how sticky the buttons are. Never gonna have to fix the fuse box when it blows up every Sunday afternoon when the theatre down the street turns on too many lights like it always does. Never gonna look up from the ledger and see the guys goofin’ off when they should be working, and you and Mantis and Nebula sittin’ on the couch, doing your homework...it’s weird.”

Gamora nodded silently, unsure of how to respond. “So...what’s your plan for today?”

“Dunno. Didn’t think that far ahead,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I know we got that group sleepover thing Mantis had planned for Friday, but I was, uh...I was kinda hoping to spend today with you.”

To his surprise, she didn’t seem too confused by his admittedly intimate request. “And do what?”

“We could stay in, watch more movies,” Peter suggested. “Or we could go out to, I dunno, there’s nothing to do around here - ”

“Staying in sounds perfect,” Gamora said decisively, though she sat up as she said it. “Breakfast first, though.” She crawled over him to get out of bed, turning to look at him expectantly when he didn’t follow suit. “I’m not making breakfast by myself, Peter, come on!”

Gamora seemed unusually cheerful as she swept about the kitchen, grabbing ingredients out of the fridge and pantry, and cutlery out of the drawers. Peter stood by the kitchen island, watching her in silent awe. She had always been graceful, moving through air like it was water, like a dancer. It was a stark contrast to the way she talked, sharp and biting and surprisingly witty.

As much as he liked to dance (and as much as loved _her_ ), Peter had only ever danced with Gamora once, at her senior prom. Richard had taken his new girlfriend, Nita, and so Gamora refused to go. She didn’t want to face him, didn’t want to face her classmates, who believed far more in Richard’s falsehoods than Gamora’s truth. In the end, Mantis had been the one to convince her, and hardly had to ask Peter twice if he would accompany her. After all, Peter was still quite popular around town, far more popular than Richard had ever been. Being Gamora’s date, even her platonic one, would send a message, though in the end, not quite the right one.

“Quill’s easy, you know that? He’s just gonna sleep with you until he’s bored, just like he does to everyone else. You’re nothing special,” Richard had sneered after he angrily pulled Gamora aside.

“Don’t _ever_ touch me again,” Gamora had snarled back. “And if you could stop obsessing over Peter for just one second - the only reason you keep pinning our relationship problems on him is because you _refuse_ to take responsibility for destroying it yourself.”

Peter’s fists curled at the memory, remembering how he stood on the sidelines in utter shock, wondering whether to intervene before Gamora lost her temper. It was only when she tapped him firmly on the shoulder that he was brought back to the present. “Peter? Are you going to make yourself useful or not?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he coughed, shaking himself. “We should put some music on. We’re gonna be here awhile if we’re makin’ breakfast for everybody.”

“Sure, go ahead.” Gamora looked at him inquisitively, confused by the indecipherable expression on his face, before beginning to butter some bread. Peter briefly disappeared to his bedroom, returning with his Walkman. “Don’t play anything too loud - I think Yondu is still sleeping.”

“You want somethin’ slow, hey?” Peter wiggled his eyebrows suggestively in her direction.

Gamora pointed the butter knife at him. “No, you _know_ that’s not what I - ”

_There’s a light...a certain kind of light…_

At her unimpressed expression, Peter set the Walkman down on the counter and merely held his hands up defensively. “I’m just setting the mood. So what d’you want me to do?”

_That never shone on me...I want my life to be lived with you…_

Gamora sighed in defeat. “Eggs.” She practically shoved the mixing bowl into his chest before turning back to her own. He nodded absentmindedly as he began working alongside her, humming along under his breath. He could vaguely hear Nebula sulking about down the hall in her guest room, and Mantis frenetically shuffling about in hers. As Gamora said, Yondu seemed to still be in bed, and Peter couldn’t help feel oddly guilty. Ever since Peter announced his intent to leave, Yondu had been picking up extra shifts at the store, spent countless hours trying to rearrange the schedule and work out the last of his paystubs. Peter’s face fell a little. Maybe Gamora had a point; maybe Yondu _was_ going to be more permanently affected by Peter’s decision than it first seemed. “Peter.”

_There's a way everybody say...to do each and every little thing…_

He startled out of his own thoughts, realizing he’d been whisking the eggs for far too long. “Crap, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She gently pried the bowl from his hands. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was thinkin’ about all that stuff you said. About how I wasn’t thinking everything through.” Peter drummed his fingers on the counter listlessly. “Yondu and Mantis...me giving up the ability to choose. The Nova Corps, they’re great in their own right, but...is that really the kind of life I wanna live?”

“What kind of life _do_ you want to live?”

_But what does it bring...if I ain't got you, ain't got?..._

“That’s the thing. I have no frickin’ clue,” Peter laughed half-heartedly. “I see all these people who know what they wanna do with their lives, and they’re good at it, too. I’m...I’m none of those things. I’m never gonna be... _good_ at anything. Just ‘okay’.”

“Well, Mantis said you wanted to be a teacher. Is that still true?” Gamora asked.

“Sure, but I don’t even know what I would teach,” Peter shrugged. “I just know I’m good with kids. All those summers that I was a camp counselor, babysitting the neighbours’ kids when, y’know, they used to _live_ here. They seemed to like me.”

“They liked you because you gave them cookies to convince them to go to bed, and taught them how to dance - _and_ swear in ten different alien languages,” Gamora reminded him. “But...being a teacher would suit you. You’re still a bit of a child yourself.”

_You don't know what it's like, baby...you don't know what it's like…_

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Peter grinned. “And hey, y’know, for all the dancing I’ve done over the years - never really got to dance with you much.”

Gamora’s heart thumped in her chest as she turned away, hoping he didn’t notice the slight jump in her shoulders. “There was senior prom, was that not enough?” Peter slipped in between her and the counter before she could return to her work, holding out his hand for her to take. “Peter…”

“That was _half_ a song, and Dick cut in to talk crap about you before we could finish,” Peter protested, though his expression softened as Gamora reluctantly accepted his hand, allowing him to guide them to the middle of the kitchen and turn them in slow circles.

“Are you going to call him that _all_ the time now?” Gamora huffed, though secretly, she couldn’t help but want to as well.

“Nah...just in my head.” Peter smiled as Gamora let out a genuine chuckle, something soft, mostly under her breath. She stepped closer, tilting her chin up to look at him properly. Once again, their faces were far closer than she anticipated.

_To love somebody...to love somebody...the way I love you…_

“He _was_ sort of a dick,” Gamora admitted quietly. “Or...not sort of. Definitely. Not to say I was perfect, but he let his pride consume our relationship and everything in it.”

“Didn’t see you much once you guys got together,” Peter said. “We were starting to worry about you.”

Gamora frowned. “Worry about me?”

“Well...sometimes, people get so wrapped up in their new relationship that they stop hanging out with their friends. I could see it happening to Mantis - you know how obsessive she gets sometimes - but I never thought it’d happen to you.” He shrugged again. “You always seemed like you were in control. It was weird watching him practically lead you around.”

“I always valued my independence, but I have _never_ been invincible, not ever,” Gamora replied coolly. “You all think too much of me, and I don’t like that. I’m not infallible, and I don’t want to lose my friends the first time I fall.”

“Didn’t mean it like that,” Peter said apologetically, shaking his head. “I just thought it was unusual. And the way you take care of business, how you handle yourself...it’s admirable, honestly. You’ve been a real good role model for my sister. For all of us, really. You could never let us down.”

Gamora smiled. “You’ve been unusually kind to me this week, Peter. You aren’t trying to butter me up for something, are you?”

“What? No, definitely not,” he chuckled, gently pulling himself out of her grasp to her mild disappointment. “But speakin’ of butter…”

Before Gamora could figure out what he meant, Peter dipped his finger into the pancake batter and swiped it across her forehead. She let out a startled cry. “Peter! What - ”

“Hey, my hands are clean. And in my defense, _you_ were the one who set up the joke,” Peter grinned impishly. He paused, looking at her curiously to see if she was going to react, when - “ _hey!_ ” - Gamora flicked some flour in his face, leaving him spluttering for breath. “Oh, it’s on!”

Gamora shrieked as Peter scooped up generous handfuls of batter and smeared them along the underside of her jaw. She reached for the spatula and whacked him in the nose in retaliation. “Peter, we’re supposed to be cooking all of this - _oh_ \- ” - another spray of flour, this time dusted across her cheeks - “ - fine, then you leave me with no choice - ”

In one quick flip, Gamora wrestled him to the ground, half-shoving him against the kitchen counter, pressing the blunt end of the spatula against his jugular as she straddled his hips to hold him down. When he finally held his hands up in surrender, she realized how short of breath they had become, having knocked into him rather hard. Gamora supposed she must have looked ridiculous - pancake batter on her forehead and chin, flour all over her face, and, as she drew back her arm, brandishing a spatula above her head.

“See?” Peter panted, slumping against the counter in defeat. “Forget Drax, forget the Nova Corps. _You_ should be the one teachin’ me how to fight.”

“You really want to learn combat that badly?” Gamora softened, lowering her makeshift weapon. Noting that Peter had a bit of flour dusted in his hair, she ran her fingers through it without thinking, surprised at how soft it felt. Peter leaned a little into the touch, gazing up at her.

“I just wanna know what I’m s’posed to be doing,” Peter said quietly, letting out a huff of self-deprecating laughter. “I mean, that’s probably everybody, _ever_. But you know what I mean.”

Gamora suddenly pulled away in realization at what she was doing. “Yes, well...we should get back to it. Breakfast can’t cook itself.”

Peter watched her, his expression bittersweet, as she stood and began digging through the cabinets for towels and floor cleaner. “It sure can’t.”

* * *

After breakfast and a healthy reprimanding from Yondu for getting flour in the kitchen tile grout, Peter and Gamora retreated guiltily to Peter’s room. They lazed about for the rest of the morning, not really doing much aside from half-watching old episodes of _Knight Rider_ that Peter had already shown her when they were in high school.

“I heard you finally finished the Milano,” she said a few episodes later. Peter, who was lying on his back and hardly paying attention at all, suddenly perked up, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“You wanna see her?”

Though the house itself wasn’t particularly big, the backyard of Yondu’s property was impressive, albeit overgrown, not really suitable for much other than fostering pests during the summers. It also housed their two-ship garage, allowing Peter to park his beloved Milano beside Yondu’s own M-ship. Neither of them traveled by spacecraft very often anymore, considering their current line of work, but it was still a point of pride for them both.

The first thing that came to Gamora’s mind as Peter rolled up the garage door was _bright_ ; the Milano was unexpectedly glossy, rendered in an almost violently fluorescent orange and blue, just like Peter’s inherited Mustang. It was flashy, even ostentatious, but she supposed she couldn’t expect any less from Peter and his fondness for showmanship. “It’s so...clean.”

“You thought I wasn’t gonna take good care of her?” Peter said in mock offense. “C’mon, let’s go inside.”

The inside was more typical of Peter; though the metal floors and walls were the same song and dance for any ship, it was messy and smelled vaguely of stale bread and old cologne, with random paraphernalia and books scattered about. The cabin was small, almost intimate, only boasting a couple tiny rooms that could barely fit a twin-sized mattress and a bathroom with no space for error. Peter had clearly done up some new screens and navigation systems, had them fitted perfectly into the existing monitors and walls, but everything else seemed to be thrifted or recycled pieces. There was something oddly charming about it, a little off-kilter, but perfectly serviceable as a ship and a temporary home.

“I’m surprised you didn’t knock down that wall and make one larger bedroom,” Gamora commented, peering inside.

“I doubt I’ll ever be traveling alone,” Peter shrugged, leaning against the doorframe.

“But if you’re bringing a girl, wouldn’t she be staying in the same bed?” She circled around him to continue on, only to realize he wasn’t following her anymore. “Peter?”

“Every single time,” he muttered under his breath, straightening up and folding his arms across his chest. “You really think I’m that kind of guy, huh? The kind that sleeps with a different girl every week? Charm ‘em, and then dump ‘em the next morning?”

“Not quite so dramatic, you just...you seem to value casual sex more than long-term relationships. I’ve never once heard you refer to someone as your girlfriend,” Gamora said defensively. She paused. “Though I suppose after what you told me yesterday...you’re holding out for that girl, aren’t you?”

Peter swallowed. “Yeah. Yeah, I guess you could say that.”

“What makes you so sure she doesn’t feel the same way?” Gamora tilted her head curiously.

“She’s, uh...she’s a pretty private person. I can’t tell what she’s thinkin’ half the time, and I don’t think she ever wants me to,” he chuckled softly, leading her back to the common area and settling down at the communal table. Gamora sat opposite him, her gaze almost sympathetic. It only made the growing ache in his stomach intensify with longing. “So...what do you think?”

“It suits you.” She gestured towards the vantage window; though it only gave a view of the neighbor’s backyard, she could only imagine the kind of sights he would get to see once he took the Milano out for a spin. “A bit much, but it has its charm. Odd timing though, for you to finish it - _her_ \- mere days before you leave for Dervani.”

“Yeah, well, one last project before I go, right? And I can finally sell Dad’s car, maybe trade it in for something cheaper that _didn’t_ come from that egomaniac.” Peter smiled ruefully. “I’ll miss it, of course, it was a pretty cool car, but just knowing that he took Mom out for dates in that thing, pretended she was more than a mark to him...I can live without it.”

“Speaking of your mother, I noticed the tape deck.” Gamora nodded towards the wall behind the bench. “It’s a nice touch.”

“That’s one thing I’ll never give up...except I can’t bring my music with me.” Peter sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Y’know, the more I talk about it, the worse this whole idea sounds.” In the distance, they could hear Yondu calling them back to the house for lunch.

Gamora got to her feet first, gesturing for him to follow her back. “It’s not too late to change your mind,” she said quietly as he did. “You’ve got time.”

* * *

 “You look troubled about something, boy.” Yondu looked up from the spread of documents on the coffee table to see a shifty-eyed Peter, lurking in the doorframe, his arms folded defensively across his chest. “An’ you look like you wanna talk.”

“Am I making a mistake?” Peter sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him.

“Sure. But you’re gonna hafta be more specific,” Yondu snorted, glancing back at his paperwork. Peter rolled his eyes.

“About being an officer, obviously,” Peter protested. “About...about leaving my job. Giving away my stuff, selling my car. Not being there for you and Mantis.”

“You know I was never good with makin’ you feel better about this stuff,” Yondu said, somewhat uncomfortably. “But look, we’ll survive jus’ fine without you. It’s _you_ that you should be worried ‘bout. ‘Cos the more you talk about it, the less it seems like you wanna follow through. And if it makes you this upset, then why the hell you doin’ it in the first place?”

“It felt like the right thing at the time...I dunno.” Peter sank against the couch behind him, draping his arms over his bent knees, his fingers drumming out an idle beat. “Been talking to Gamora about it, too. She thinks I was too hasty.”

“That’s ‘cos that girl likes to make about fifty lists and a whole damn calendar before she makes a decision,” Yondu chuckled. “But she’s got a point. You jus’ about jumped straight into applyin’ for the Corps without a second thought. But you never liked ‘em much, and you never wanted to be one when you was younger. So I’ll ask you again. Why you doin’ it?”

“I’m done bein’ the guy who can’t make up his mind. I just wanna know what I’m doing, Yondu. I need something stable. Somethin’ I can hold onto.” Peter fiddled with the rug beneath him, twisting its tassels between his fingers. “I mean, no offense, but the store...I know that bein’ there is temporary. The pay’s great, but it’s not the kind of job that can sustain a family. And...you know I want a family. It was one of mom’s dreams too, y’know? And she almost got there. A nice house, a life partner, kids...the whole cliche.”

“Sure, but how you gonna have all that if the Corps takes you away from the one person you wanna live that life with?” Peter swallowed thickly, unsure of how to respond. Yondu shook his head with a resigned sigh. “You’re smarter than you look, boy, but sometimes, you’re too damn quick for your own good.”

“It’s not gonna happen, Yondu.” Peter smiled ruefully. “Look, I accepted a long damn time ago that she’s not interested in me, and...and it sucks, a _lot_ , but it’s not like I blame her. She’s just...she’s so _good_ , y’know? And I’m just glad she stuck around. That we’re friends. I don’t expect anythin’ else.”

“So this is about you runnin’ away?” Yondu stared at him in disbelief. “You were never about givin’ up. You always ran headfirst into everything, even if it hurt you in the end. Sometimes literally.” He nodded towards the wall opposite them, where there was a large dent at the approximate height of a nine-year-old Peter’s forehead. “Y’know what? I _do_ think you’re makin’ a mistake. You’re gettin’ into something you think is gonna solve all your problems, but all it’s gonna do is make new ones.”

To Yondu’s surprise, instead of being met with protest, Peter nodded silently, mulling it over. “Okay. I, uh, I guess we’ll see what happens on Saturday.” He got to his feet, pausing in the doorway. “Thanks, Yondu.”

“Don’t break your own heart, boy,” Yondu called after Peter as he retreated down the hall. “Then you really got no one to blame but yourself.”

* * *

 “It’s been years since I was last out here,” Gamora said, awed, carefully laying on her back. The Xandarian night sky winked back at her in greeting. “I was probably two feet shorter and fourteen years younger. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“What, you worried we gonna fall?” Peter settled in beside her with an easy smile, his shoulder brushing hers. The two of them were perched on the one section of flat roof on the entire house, directly outside his bedroom window. The Walkman was hooked on Peter’s belt, crooning a gentle Percy Sledge song that she was certain he knew all the words to.

“More worried we’re going to _break_ something,” she said dryly, careful not to rest her feet too heavily on the gutter below. “So what are we doing here?”

“I wanted to talk about shared...life experiences.” Peter winced. “Okay, so that wasn’t the best way to put it. But I mean all that stuff before you moved here. You and Nebula with Thanos...me and Mantis with Dad.”

Gamora frowned, uncertain that she’d heard him correctly. “We’ve...never talked about any of that before. Why bring it up now?”

“I dunno. Maybe it's ‘cos I’m leaving and I’ve been feeling nostalgic, even for the crappy stuff. Or I’m just moody,” Peter laughed, though Gamora was getting the feeling he was partially serious. “We don’t have to talk about Thanos if you don’t want to.”

“The fact he’s still out there disturbs me,” Gamora sighed wistfully, turning her gaze back to the sky. “Somehow, he hasn’t found us yet. I always worry that someday, he’ll figure it out.”

“Guess I should consider myself lucky. _My_ batshit insane dad is dead.” Peter smiled apologetically. “Sorry, that probably didn’t help at all. I just needed to talk to someone about it, now that I’m selling his car. Mantis refuses to acknowledge he ever existed, and Yondu just gets super angry whenever I mention him.”

“You love that car,” she said softly. “I know it reminds you of him, but - ”

“And that’s all it takes.” His jaw tensed. “When I lived with my mom, I thought Dad was just some typical deadbeat asshole who skipped town to avoid takin’ responsibility for us. Turns out, it was _way_ worse than that. He had this whole twisted scheme planned out where I was gonna help him rebuild the universe with my Celestial powers. Like _that_ was gonna happen.”

Gamora’s eyes widened. “Wait...I knew you were half-Celestial, but I didn’t realize you inherited his abilities.”

“Mine were nothin’ special,” Peter admitted. “If I had more time with ‘em, sure, but I only lived with Dad for about six months before Yondu rescued us, so I didn’t get too far. Mantis didn’t have the gene, but I guess Dad kept her around for the empathic abilities that she got from her mom. Anyways, Dad was...weirdly proud of me. For...I dunno, existing? For carrying the gene? But he was the biggest d-bag to Mantis, treated her like a slave instead of a daughter. Usually, I can go _months_ without thinking about him, but sometimes I remember the way he talked to her, the stuff he made her do, and I get so frickin’ mad…”

Peter’s breath shook, his shoulders trembling from his silent rage. Gamora quietly squeezed his arm, bringing him back down. “Peter.”

“I’m glad she has you, Gamora,” Peter said, exhaling deliberately. “She wouldn’t be as confident about herself if it wasn’t for you. You proved to her that it’s possible to bounce back from that stuff. I mean, Thanos was _way_ worse than Dad was, and you were with him for way longer.”

“It shaped me, for better or worse.” Gamora gave him a watery smile. “And sure, it made me resilient. But I don’t think trauma is necessary for strength. I wouldn’t wish my experiences on anyone.”

Peter’s fists curled at his sides, his fingernails scratching against the worn tile. “Corps shoulda caught him a long damn time ago.”

“Someone will, someday.” Her hand slid down his arm to meet his, slowly easing his fingers open, urging him to relax. “Part of me wants to be that person. But for the most part...I never want to see him again.”

He fell silent as Gamora laced their fingers together. Her skin was surprisingly soft, her fingers long and slender, gentle. Peter briefly wondered if she even realized what she was doing, but selfishly, he wanted her to hold on and never let go. “How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“When you switched majors, how’d you know it was the right choice?” Peter asked. “Because I can’t tell if anything I’m doing makes any sense at all.”

“I started off wanting to be a physiotherapist,” Gamora began, though she had a feeling Peter already knew everything she was about to say. “It made sense; I grew up learning different types of combat and defensive techniques, so learning how to push my body and treat my body seemed to go hand-in-hand. But after two years, I realized it wasn’t the physical part that was appealing to me. It was recovery. And I wanted to be a part of that process. I wanted to help. Mind and body, they go together. Everything else just...fell into place.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Peter mumbled almost petulantly.

“Then I must not be telling it correctly,” Gamora replied. “There’s no shame in going at a different speed, Peter. So...slow down. _Really_ think about what it is you want.”

“I’ve only got so much time, though.” Peter’s gaze met hers, the twinkling stars reflecting in the greens of his eyes. “To do all the stuff I want, and _deserve_ it, too.”

“What is it you think you don’t deserve?” she said curiously.

Peter took so long to respond that for a moment, Gamora thought he hadn’t heard her. “The future I imagined. Finally getting to know what the hell I’m s’posed to be doing.” He laughed, but it sounded far too hollow for her liking. “Man, I sound mopey. Anyways, let’s, uh, let’s talk about somethin’ else.”

Gamora was growing increasingly concerned, turning onto her side to fully face him. “Peter, are you - ”

“I’m real glad you came back, Gamora.” Peter withdrew his hand, intertwining it with his other, resting them neatly on his stomach. “I know it sounds cheesy, but I’m proud of you. For figuring out what you want, that is. If you end up working at a women’s clinic, or hell, even opening your own someday, it’d be the most badass thing you’ve ever done. That, or the fact you punched your ex two days ago.” He snickered quietly, and he very nearly sounded like himself again.

Gamora groaned; she had nearly forgotten about it. “Except I shouldn’t have. It might’ve felt good at the moment, but I shouldn’t let anger dictate my actions.”

“Sure, you’ve always been super careful about that stuff,” Peter shrugged. “But you gotta admit...it was pretty satisfying.”

She bit her lip. “Yes, okay, just a little bit.” After a beat, they both dissolved into laughter, curling up on themselves as they tried their best not to roll right off the roof from the force of their giggles. As their mirth subsided, Gamora glanced over at him once more, pleased to see the storm in his eyes seemed to have passed on. “Thank you, Peter. I’m glad I came back, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I pick Richard to be Gamora's ex-boyfriend instead of Adam solely so Peter could make dick jokes? Yes, yes I did. The song that they danced to in the kitchen is [To Love Somebody](https://open.spotify.com/track/0mbS3VwRbO6HVBMPXnzOGA?si=eU5ShQXmSqGa3lC10l7tFQ) by the Bee Gees, and the song I imagine they were listening to while on the roof is [Warm and Tender Love](https://open.spotify.com/track/3AcmG9xPYVeir8E6StWIQO?si=mToXBwi8SHmDHyoXgjsJAQ) by Percy Sledge.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m...I’m happy for you, Peter. That you figured it out. That you’ll find the answers you need.”

“Yondu?” Gamora took a few tentative steps into the kitchen, surprised to find it was severely lacking the usual rambunctious energy of Peter and Mantis ambling about the house. Instead, Yondu was sitting by himself, taking a long swig of coffee. “Where is everyone?”

“Your sister’s still sleepin’, I think,” Yondu replied, looking briefly away from the newspaper to face her. “Peter n’ Mantis took off pretty early. Dunno where they went.”

Gamora frowned. “I didn’t know they were going anywhere to begin with. Did they say when they’ll be back?”

“Nope.” Yondu turned back to his paper, turning the pages slowly.

She took a few steps around to his other side, peering over the top of his newspaper. “Yondu...has Peter been acting strange - well, stranger than usual - lately, or is it just me?”

“He’s been kinda off for a while now,” Yondu admitted, finally setting it down. “Tryna cover it up, o’course - you know him - but he’s still torn up about his mama’s death, especially this time of year.”

Gamora nodded in acceptance, mulling it over. “I suppose he needs space, then. I should really spend some time with Nebula, anyways. Thanks, Yondu.” He raised his mug at her in response.

After breakfast and a quick shower, Gamora found Nebula in her respective guest room, tapping away idly on her computer. “Do you need something?” Nebula said cooly before Gamora could open her mouth.

“I’m not trying to avoid you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Gamora replied. “If you don’t have plans for today...can we talk?”

Nebula stared at her incredulously. “How long are you expecting this ‘talk’ to be?”

Gamora chuckled softly, shaking her head. “However long you’ll allow it. It’s just...Peter said some things yesterday about Thanos that got me thinking.”

Nebula recoiled, slamming her laptop screen down with far more force than necessary. “We agreed to never say his name again.”

“But maybe it’s time we stop avoiding the topic.” Gamora crossed the threshold of the doorway, sitting at the foot of the bed. She was careful to keep her distance - Nebula looked especially vulnerable right now, still in her sleepclothes, curled in on herself like a child, her eyes even more hardened than usual. “Remember when we shared that tiny bunk on Sanctuary? The other Children had rooms of their own, mostly because they were grown adults, but everyone else he’d taken from other worlds were already paired off. By fate or random chance, it was you and I in that room at the end of the hallway. The smallest one.”

“I’d rather not remember _any_ of it,” Nebula hissed, but she made no move to leave.

“There was one night where he chained both of us to our beds by the ankle, using a length far too short for us to move anywhere.” Gamora shivered in remembrance of the way the metal had rattled against the concrete. “He gave us a key that would only work once. Whoever didn’t get the key would have to sleep on the floor.”

“You beat me to it.” Nebula turned away. “And then you unlocked mine.”

“The floor didn’t bother me as much,” Gamora said with a nonchalant shrug. “But he’d already put so much metal in your body, and the cold ground was too much sensory input for your implants. It made sense.”

“There you go again, pretending you’re dictated by logic instead of emotion.” Nebula shook her head. “He might not have seen it, but you trembled every time he laid a hand on you. You blinked if his face got too close to yours. You were every bit as terrified of him as all the other children he’d taken, _you_ were the one who notified the Nova Corps where we were because you were so damn scared - ”

“So...what? So I should have lived the rest of my life under his rule? Let him continue to hurt us both?” Gamora snapped. “I risked life and limb to send that message, Nebula. My only regret is I couldn’t save more than just you and me. Who _knows_ what could have become of us if we grew up like that. Would we become the monsters he wanted us to be?”

“I think you secretly long for a life more complex than the one you’re living.” Nebula’s lip curled. “You crave validation like any other. Thanos mistook your eagerness for strength. You want to live your life extraordinarily, so much so that you can’t accept anything less than perfect.”

“When did this become about me?” Gamora protested.

“When you _decided_ to make everything about you!” Nebula shot to her feet, standing over Gamora, who was still sat neatly on the bed. “You don’t want to talk. You want me to validate your belief that you were my savior, _sister_. You want me to sing your praises for ‘taking care of me’ all these years. If you had left me to perish under Thanos’s rule, you would have no one to prop yourself up on.”

Tears burned hot in Gamora’s eyes, threatening to fall. She inhaled shakily. “So that’s what you think of me, then? Selfish? Self-serving?”

“You spent more time with Mantis in our first month here than you did in our five years with Thanos. You tell a good story, sister, but your truths are misguided. If you want to continue telling yourself you care about me - ”

“You are my _sister_ , Nebula, and no one could ever replace you,” Gamora promised, her voice thick with emotion. “Please, just...never doubt that...that I love you. And if it ever seemed like I valued our tragedy over your happiness...I’m sorry.”

Nebula stared at her then; her eyes were watery, too. For a moment, Gamora thought she was going to sit back down, but she simply shook her head in silent disgust and walked out the door instead.

* * *

“I never told the others this was here, you know.” Peter glanced over at Mantis, who was stood utterly still, her eyes focused on the ground. “They would probably think it’s stupid.”

“Unusual, maybe. But never stupid,” Mantis protested, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “Thank you for bringing me, Peter.”

The two of them were stood in the cemetery, a fairly small stretch of land proportional to the size of their tiny town. There weren’t too many headstones here, considering most people liked to bury their loved ones in the city that was just a highway over, giving enough space for the two of them to spread out a large blanket on the ground.

Peter knelt first, indicating for Mantis to follow suit. He brushed a finger over the name, then the dates, years that indicated a too-short life. It was quite literally cold comfort, considering there was nothing beneath it but grass and dirt, but at least it felt like the ritual he’d been denied when he was first taken by Ego all those years ago. “Hey, Mom. I brought Mantis today. Figured I should, since I might not see her - or _you_ \- for a little while.”

“But I can keep visiting if it would make you feel better,” Mantis chimed in. Peter smiled at her gratefully before continuing on.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve been feelin’ a little lost lately. About what to do...what I’m _s’posed_ to do. Everyone keeps telling me to take my time and think about it, but you know me. I just wanna do everything right _now_.” Peter chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I mean, I kinda know what I want. But I don’t know how to get there. Or if I even can. I guess I spent most of my life kinda dickin’ around, not thinking ahead, and it’s really come back to bite me. I miss being able to just...sit down at the dining table with you after I got home from school, and tell you all about my day, and we’d talk and talk and talk...listen to some music, maybe, while you’re makin’ dinner...and sometimes you’d ask me what I wanna be. My answer was different every time. Maybe that’s why I can’t decide now, either.”

Peter went quiet, drawing his hands back into his lap. Mantis’s antennae lit up briefly before she reached out to gently grasp his shoulder. She could slowly feel his sorrow and desperation feed back into her body through her fingers, a momentary burst of emotion that made her gasp, startled. Peter’s eyes slid closed, exhaling loudly as his emotions passed between them.

“Easy,” Mantis whispered, withdrawing her hand. Peter nodded.

“I might tell her,” Peter said after another moment’s silence. “You always told me not to be afraid, but I gotta say, the idea of telling her is kinda terrifying. But I think I’d be kickin’ myself if I don’t tell her just once, right before I go. I guess I’m trying to tie up all my loose ends around here. I’m selling Dad’s car, too, the one he used to take you out in? It’s a beautiful car, but I never wanna see it again. I don’t wanna remember him. I want _you_ back, Mom, not him. Never him.” He sniffled. “Anyways...I might drop by again on Sunday, okay? Right before I leave. Who knows, maybe everything’ll be okay by then. Work itself out. Love you.”

Peter got to his feet, pressing a kiss right between her first and middle name before straightening up. He took Mantis’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers together as he walked them back to the car. “I’m sorry to hear you are feeling uncertain of yourself lately,” Mantis said sadly. “You always seem so sure, but Yondu did tell me that you have been a little sad.”

“I’ve been weirdly moody these past few weeks,” Peter agreed. “I guess seeing you and Gamora growing up, really making somethin’ of yourselves, I realized I had to get my ass into gear. I don’t wanna be just another small-town kid who lives, works, and dies in one place, you know? I wanna explore, get out there and see everything.”

“Then do that,” Mantis insisted. “Go live your life on your own terms. You are not as confined as you think you are.”

“But the money - ”

“You know Yondu would give you every last unit he had if it would help,” Mantis said fiercely, though her brow softened. “Peter...I can feel everything you feel. And I can tell that you are holding yourself back. All the confidence you had in high school has been lost to your belief that you do not deserve what you want.” Mantis smiled sadly. “You let Ego’s words get to you again, didn’t you?”

“They’re still up in here, every single day.” Peter tapped a finger on his temple before reaching for his car keys, finally letting go of Mantis so she could walk around to the passenger’s side. “I guess you’re right. Dad didn’t know crap about me, so he doesn’t get to be in my head. Not anymore.” He scoffed as they both got into the car. “Forget him - I’m proud of being just like everyone else. Uh, in my own way,” he amended.

Mantis giggled, relieved. “There you go,” she grinned, patting his hand briefly. “Now let’s go home.”

* * *

“Anyone home?” Peter called, shedding his jacket. “Yondu? Gamora?...uh, Nebula?” He and Mantis exchanged worried glances when there was no response. He walked further down the hall, knocking on the guest bedroom door. “Gamora?”

The door creaked open. To his dismay, Gamora’s face only barely peeked through, but from what he could see, her eyes and cheeks were reddened, even a little puffy. “Can you get Mantis for me?” she whispered shakily. Peter nodded wordlessly, gesturing for Mantis to join him. The moment Mantis slipped through the door, Gamora shut the door in Peter’s face. He paused dejectedly, but reluctantly went back upstairs to his own room, accepting that she simply didn’t need him right now, whatever it was.

“What happened?” Mantis immediately brought them over to the bed, sitting cross-legged across from Gamora.

“I just wanted to make things right with Nebula. We’ve never had the best relationship, but I thought we were at the point where we could be honest with each other.” Gamora drew her legs up underneath her, twisting her hands fretfully in her lap. “I tried talking to her about our father, and she basically told me I had a savior complex. That my intentions to protect her were purely for my own benefit.”

“That is not true.” Mantis shook her head vehemently. “And she knows that, Gamora. She is probably just upset about something else.”

“She was upset about a _lot_ of things, one of them being the fact I spend more time with you than her,” Gamora sighed. “I don’t ever want to give up on Nebula, _ever_. But when she acts out like this...I don’t even know where to begin. Whether I should just cut my losses and leave her be, or chase her forever and be denied the chance, every single time.”

“I think Thanos upsets her more than he upsets you,” Mantis said thoughtfully, reaching over to squeeze Gamora’s hand. “I think she is not ready to talk about him. Maybe she feels that you pushed her too hard.”

“It’s been fifteen years,” Gamora protested.

Mantis shrugged. “People feel things differently, Gamora. Trust me, I’m an expert.” She smiled wryly as Gamora let out a wet chuckle. “Nebula does not want to admit it, but she is very sensitive. After all this time, she still is cautious of your intentions. She is cautious of _everyone_. But at the end of the day...she trusts _you_ the most. Talk to her again, and I think you can smooth things over, as long as you do not mention Thanos.”

Gamora finally unfurled herself, stretching out across the mattress as she laid back down. Her eyes went to the ceiling, to the cracks and the stains from the leak they had, back when she was in sixth grade and the snow had come down much heavier than anticipated. “I want to talk about it someday. She’s the only one who would truly understand.” She glanced up. “No offense, Mantis.”

“I can only feel feelings, not experience them,” Mantis replied neatly, laying down beside Gamora. “I think...we all went through so much when we were children. Peter had six months with Ego, but I was with him since I was a baby, as were you two with Thanos. And then we all ended up here on Xandar, and it feels like...an idle paradise. A small town where everything is calm, and quiet, and everyone knows everyone. But sometimes it feels like a curse. It feels...restless. That is why we both left. And that is why Peter and Nebula are having trouble leaving.”

“You think they’re afraid.” It wasn’t a question.

“I know they are,” Mantis said sadly. “Peter is scared of being ordinary. Nebula is scared of becoming too much.”

“And _we_ didn’t feel that way?” Gamora asked. “Because I was certainly terrified during our first semester. If what I wanted wasn’t what I needed.”

“I do not have _all_ the answers,” Mantis chuckled. “I just know that we should be there for them. And for each other. We will not be coming back here until Christmas, Gamora, so we should make the most of it.”

“Whatever _that_ means,” Gamora sighed, sinking fully into the pillows. “Well, that was far more confrontation than I wanted to deal with in a single morning. I think I need a nap.”

Mantis snuggled in beside her, grinning impishly. “I think so, too.”

* * *

The cutlery clattered a little louder than usual against the plates as everyone scraped up every last bit of food, apparently avoiding conversation as much as they possibly could. Mantis and Gamora occasionally exchanged glances, and Peter was trying his best to keep up with Yondu’s long-winded monologue about how someone was stealing from the register again, but no one else seemed inclined to speak.

“Alright, what gives?” Yondu slammed his fork and knife down onto the table, causing everyone to jump. “Y’all are actin’ real spooked. Something happen?”

“No,” four voices chorused at the same time with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Yondu sighed exasperatedly.

“Sure, that’s real convincing,” he drawled. “Mantis? What were you two up to this morning?”

“We had somewhere to be,” Mantis said cryptically, taking a large bite of her bread.

“And I heard _you two_ yellin’ up a storm,” Yondu continued, brandishing his butter knife between the sisters. “Well?”

“Yondu, it’s...it’s personal,” Gamora said almost apologetically. “I really don’t want to get into it right now.”

“Typical,” Nebula muttered under her breath, aggressively shoving her vegetables around her plate with her fork.

Gamora huffed. “Do you have something you want to say to me, Nebula?”

“Plenty,” Nebula growled. “But you always want to talk about how _you’re_ feeling instead.”

“That is not - ” Gamora paused to glance around the table. Peter looked unbearably awkward, Yondu looked like he was regretting asking in the first place, and Mantis was cowering into her plate. “Let’s not do this here, okay? Come on.” She got to her feet, gesturing for Nebula to follow her into the den. The remaining three exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of whether to intervene.

“Getting us away from prying eyes and ears, how clever,” Nebula sneered, folding her arms across her chest as she sat down petulantly on the couch. Gamora carefully perched on the coffee table opposite her.

“This doesn’t have to be messy, Nebula. We’re both adults here,” Gamora sighed. “I’m...sorry if it ever felt like I made our history all about me. You’re right, I _can_ be selfish...self-absorbed...and sometimes, I think about our time with Thanos, and how I tried so hard to protect myself, that I barely had a thought left for you, what he was doing that left you so broken. I thought I could make up for it by saving you first, but the others weren’t so lucky. There are still little girls and boys that get torn apart by him every day, sometimes literally, and I wish there was something we could do about it. But...I should start by listening to _you_. So tell me, what do you need?”

Nebula’s face crumpled just the slightest bit. “Did you know that you haven’t texted me in two months? That you missed five calls back in June when I was physically _attacked_ by a group of girls from high school?”

Gamora bolted to her feet, her blood going cold. “Nebula, I didn’t - ”

“No, you didn’t.” Nebula clenched her jaw. “Because you never called me back. I came home to an empty house and a phone that never rang. I went across the street to come here, and _Quill_ was the one who patched me up. _He_ convinced me - and _drove_ me - to the station so I could file a report. He asked me, ‘what did Gamora say’? And I had to tell him you never replied.” Nebula lowered her gaze. “Tell me again that you love me, sister, and realize that you don’t mean it.”

Gamora’s eyes welled up again. “I offer no excuse, Nebula, only a thousand apologies. I am so, _so_ sorry. I want to - no, I _need_ to do better by you. Do you want me to stay here? I can take a semester off, I can - ”

“Save it.” Nebula held up her hand to stop Gamora before she could continue. “Just...don't. Don’t pretend.”

“I’m not pretending, I swear.” Gamora knelt in front of her, grasping her hands tight. “Nebula, I failed you. Just like I did when we were younger. But no more. Let me be here for you, okay? I want to make this right.”

Nebula’s lip curled, though the fire in her eyes seemed to be slowly diminishing. “Fine. But you have a lot to make up for.”

Gamora let out a watery laugh, throwing her arms around her in relief. “I’m counting on it.”

* * *

“Hey, I feel like I haven’t seen you all day.” Gamora glanced up into the mirror to see Peter standing behind her, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m glad you and Nebula managed to make up. It’d suck pretty bad if you went back to school while you guys were still fighting.”

Gamora quickly rinsed her mouth before exiting the bathroom, walking down the hall towards her room with Peter by her side. “Part of me feels like her anger came out of nowhere, but...maybe it was a long time coming. I just hope it’s not a temporary balm, and that we _actually_ came to terms with it...that we’re truly on our way to peace.”

“It’s hard to tell with her sometimes,” Peter shrugged. “Do the best you can, y’know?”

Gamora nodded slowly, lingering at her door. She wasn’t sure if this was where she wanted to be tonight, but she didn’t know how to ask otherwise. “I’m guessing you don’t want to tell me what you and Mantis were doing? I know it’s personal, but...if you want to, I’m here.”

Peter chuckled. “It’s, uh, it’s really not a big deal. Maybe I’ll bring you sometime before I leave.”

“Oh, so you know for sure that you want to go if they accept?” Gamora was genuinely taken aback. “After everything you’ve said to me this week, I assumed - ”

“There’s a lot of assumptions going around lately,” Peter interrupted, though not unkindly. “I’ve made up my mind. I can’t keep going back and forth like this, I gotta...I gotta push forward. Be the kind of person I wanna be.”

“I’m...I’m happy for you, Peter,” Gamora said, swallowing thickly. “That you figured it out. That you’ll find the answers you need.”

“Dunno about that last part, but fingers crossed,” Peter said, his eyes flickering briefly across her face. Part of him wanted to ask her, or hell, to _tell_ her, but he wasn’t sure where to begin. For once, none of the words that came to mind seemed quite right.

“Well...goodnight.” Gamora finally went inside, turning back to glance at him one last time before shutting the door behind her.

Peter stared unseeingly at the closed door, smiling sadly to himself. “Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's apparently not a multi-chapter fic by me unless it features a detour into Peter and Gamora's respective familial angst. We're almost at the end, though!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You found out. Or, I dunno, maybe you’ve always known."

Peter ambled down the stairs in a near-trance, gripping the railing like he was about to lose his balance. He knew the others were going to be arriving any moment now, but he didn’t feel ready. Not regarding them, necessarily, but for something else. What he was supposed to be ready for, he wasn’t exactly sure.

He went into the kitchen, hardly paying attention to anything but the fuzziness of his brain and the growing knot in his stomach, and nearly knocked Gamora over in the process. “Oh - hey, sorry, didn’t see you there.”

“That’s alright.” Gamora took a small step back, observing his face. “You look...tired.”

“Didn’t sleep much,” he admitted. “Nervous, I guess.”

“I know this might sound trite, but...don’t take it to heart if you get rejected, okay?” She smiled reassuringly. “I stopped believing in karma, or fate, or luck, or anything but one’s own wills a _long_ time ago, but it might just mean you were meant for other things. Things that will be better for you in the long run.”

“If only I knew what those things were,” Peter chuckled self-deprecatingly. “But enough about me.”

Gamora couldn’t help but laugh. “This entire _week_ has been about you, Peter, now isn’t the time to be modest.”

“Yeah, but I’m glad you got something out of it, too. You and Nebula getting to talk, I mean,” Peter added. “I tried talking to her when I noticed things were getting real bad, but you know how she is. I think she’d rather scalp me before she told me anything. Or like, take my face and staple it to my - ”

“That sounds like her,” Gamora sighed, shaking her head. “I wish I was the kind of sister that I thought I was...the kind who knew what compromises had to be made. But I can’t keep wallowing in my own guilt, regretting the things I did and didn’t do. That all changes right now. I’m...I’m going to take next semester off and spend some quality time with her. I know I just switched majors and I have a lot of classes to catch up on, but my education can wait. My relationship with my sister can’t.”

“That’s great, Gamora,” Peter said sincerely, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. “It’s gonna be awesome, you guys are gonna talk and bond and become super close - ”

“I’m not so sure about that last part,” she laughed. “And thank you, by the way, for being there for her when I wasn’t - or at least, tried to be.” Gamora paused. “Peter, I - ”

She was interrupted by a rapid-fire knock on the door, signaling that the others had finally arrived. Mantis practically flew out of her room in excitement, taking the stairs two at a time and threading herself neatly between Peter and Gamora to answer it. “Hello!” she beamed, swinging the door open. Drax, Rocket, and Groot immediately piled in with enthusiastic greetings of their own.

Drax was the first to reach Peter, immediately pulling him into a hearty embrace, along with a few hard pats on the back. “You’ve made a fine career choice, Quill,” he said, squeezing him a little too tightly. “You will reap the benefits of my many months of intensive physical training, I’m sure of it. The other Corps will cower in your strength and abilities, as they have been learned from none other than me.”

“Yup, that’s totally what’s gonna happen,” Peter said breathlessly, wriggling out of Drax’s grasp. “But seriously, thanks, dude. I owe you one.”

Drax blinked. “One what?”

“Oh, here we go,” Rocket muttered. “Hey, so where’re we settin’ up tonight?”

Mantis gestured dramatically towards the den. “Our beds await!” she announced proudly.

Everyone made their way inside, astonished at the sight that greeted them. The den had never seemed like a particularly spacious room - then again, the house had never seemed like a spacious _house_ \- with its space mostly occupied by the couch and the coffee table. Mantis, however, had transformed it into a cozy, intimate haven, with every inch of the floor covered in pillows and assorted blankets, sheer fabric draped over everything from up above, creating a tent-like atmosphere, and fairy lights strewn along the walls, twinkling brightly. Her tablet sat in the middle of the entire set-up, its screen projecting a movie onto the ceiling.

“When did you have time to do all of this?” Gamora asked in amazement.

“It did not take _that_ long,” Mantis replied modestly, though she looked pleased by their reactions. “Sit, I will go get snacks.”

Groot was first to enter the makeshift fort, ducking very carefully to ensure his long, spindly limbs didn’t snag on anything. Naturally, Rocket was next to follow, then Drax. Gamora lingered, however, wondering where her sister was - she had barely seen her all day. “Hey.” She turned to see Peter standing behind her. “I think Nebula’s still in her room.”

Gamora smiled gratefully before ducking back out into the hallway, while Peter settled near the middle by the tablet, tapping absentmindedly on its screen until he found a different movie to play. Everyone laid on their backs, squirming and wriggling around to get comfortable, though no one was really paying attention to the film. “I am Groot?” Groot asked once they were settled in.

“More nervous than excited,” Peter admitted. “It’s a big move, y’know. It changes everything.”

“We’re all behind ya, Quill,” Rocket said with an unusually genuine smile. “Well, not literally. I don’t want nothin’ to do with the Nova Corps, not since they put me on that stinkin’ juvenile delinquent watchlist - ”

“You’re still on that thing?” Peter let out a belly laugh at Rocket’s predicament before he could stop himself. “Oh, man, if I ever meet Nova Prime - ”

“We’ve met Nova Prime.” The boys looked up towards the doorway, where Gamora and Nebula were standing. “I wouldn’t recommend it.” Gamora shot Nebula a warning glance before sitting cross-legged beside Peter.

“What did we miss?” Gamora asked as she and Nebula sat down.

“Nothin’, really,” Rocket replied, sweeping his tail neatly underneath him. “Oh, ‘cept me and Groot saw Dick on the way over here. You know the corner store, the one with the sandwiches?”

Gamora’s face fell a little at the mention of her ex, turning to start fussing at the blankets underneath her. “I remember that place as the one with the broken popsicles,” Peter interjected before anyone else could comment. “Shopkeeper used to give me and Mantis the crushed-up ones for free, said he wouldn’t feel right chargin’ anyone for ‘em. We got so many cavities that summer, Yondu wouldn’t let us go anymore.”

“We had to take the bus to the beach instead, where the ice cream stand with the cereal toppings was.” Mantis returned with several bowls of popcorn, candy, and chips, far more than what they needed. She slotted herself neatly between Peter and Drax, setting the snacks down in the middle by her tablet. “I think it is closed now.”

“It is,” Nebula said quietly, reaching for a handful of popcorn. “Most of the boardwalk is gone.”

“Really?” Gamora turned back towards the others, her eyes flickering briefly upwards to the movie. She recognized it to be one of many that Peter had shown her back in high school, something they had watched together one afternoon when she had to stay home with a fever. “And the houses outside...they’re all under development. Every last one...well, except ours and this one.”

“Yondu’s been mentioning how worried he is about the store,” Rocket confessed, his ears drooping a little. “Business is okay and all, but once Quill’s gone...who knows what’ll happen.”

“This town is becoming like every other. Or maybe it always was.” Gamora sank back into the pillows first, and everyone else followed suit. She sighed. “Someday, Nebula and I will have a last day here. Our parents are talking about moving into the capital for the last ten years of their work life, and then they’ll retire in the country.”

“Man, and I thought _I_ was being a real downer this week. Why’re we dwellin’ on the sad stuff, guys?” Peter looked around at the others, who looked significantly more morose than they had a few minutes ago. “How about the time I taught Mantis how to ride a bike? And we didn’t tell you guys until she just rode up to school one day.”

“There were many bandages all over my knees and elbows,” Mantis added enthusiastically, brightening. “It was so hard to keep it a secret from you, Gamora.”

“You didn’t, I saw you and Peter leave for the park every Saturday morning through my window,” Gamora said dryly. Mantis pouted. “Or that costume party where Drax was trying to impress Hovat with his strength before asking her on a date, only to accidentally start a fistfight between Rocket and Groot. You all ended up in the pool.”

“Oh yeah, there sure was _somethin’_ in the punch that night,” Rocket snickered. “And we soaked Quill’s costume right through.”

“Good thing I was already workin’ out by then,” Peter snorted, shaking his head. “At least you got your girl, dude.”

“Hovat is my true life partner, yes,” Drax said, smiling wistfully. “I sincerely hope the rest of you will be as successful in your romantic endeavors as I was.”

“I am Groot,” Groot shrugged, unbothered.

“Same,” Rocket agreed.

“Dunno about me.” Now it was Peter’s turn to look slightly uncomfortable, tapping on the tablet screen again so he could switch to yet another movie. “Y’know, since I’m so bad at makin’ up my mind and all.”

“That’s not true,” Gamora said quietly. A moment’s silence passed before Mantis suddenly scrambled to her feet, almost hitting her head on the fabric when she did.

“I almost forgot your present, Peter!” she squeaked, crouching back down so she could cross the room. She pulled out a small bag from under the TV stand and took out a small box wrapped in nondescript craft paper, topped with a red ribbon bow. She held it out to him proudly. “From all of us.”

“Oh, wow,” Peter said, startled. “Uh, thanks, guys!” They all watched in anticipation as he tore open the wrapping with abandon, his eyes widening at the sight of six cassette tapes nestled neatly inside a bundle of decorative tissue paper, each labeled with a different name.

“I must confess, before you look, that I did not participate,” Drax said guiltily. “I felt it would not be a genuine contribution for me, on account of my utter distaste for music. If there is another way I can compensate - ”

“Dude, it’s totally fine,” Peter assured him. “It would’ve been weird if I got one from you. And this is fantastic, I don’t need anything else.” He carefully took the tapes out one by one, flipping them over to see if the songlist was written down, but to his mild disappointment, none of them had any other discernible markings of any kind. “So they’re a secret, huh? I can’t wait to listen to these.” A lump formed in his throat upon seeing the last one. “Hey, I didn’t expect one from Yondu.”

“He was the one who helped me find the store that makes them,” Mantis smiled. “After you are gone, when you listen to the tapes, think of us, okay?”

Peter sniffled loudly, willing himself not to cry, but he could already feel tears of joy burning hot in his eyes. And of course, he appreciated the gift, loved it more than he could say with any of the words that were coming to mind. But at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of finality in the whole affair, a sort of closure that made his stomach roll unpleasantly once more. “Yeah, yeah, of course. Thanks, guys. Really, I don’t know what to say, I...you’re the best.”

Grinning triumphantly, Mantis gestured for everyone to pile in on Peter for a big hug. Drax and Groot didn’t have to be asked twice, and Rocket and Gamora carefully made their way into the group as well, comforted by the warmth of their friends. Even Nebula hovered on the outskirts for a moment, awkwardly patting Gamora and Mantis on the back, before the entire group collapsed on the floor in euphoric laughter. In that one moment, Peter felt the knot untangle itself, felt the clouds in his head roll away. In that one moment, he felt content.

* * *

_Three years ago_

“I shoulda done it,” Peter grumbled as he pulled up to the curb, grinding his brakes a little too harshly as he put the car in park. “I shoulda socked him right in his stupid face.” He glanced over at the passenger seat, his face softening. “I’m sorry, Gamora.”

“He couldn’t just...let me be, could he?” She swallowed thickly, unbuckling her seatbelt while keeping her eyes straight ahead at nothing. “I opened myself up to him, and he returned the favor by telling everyone.”

“I...I don’t know what I can say to help,” Peter admitted. “But c’mon, you’re not gonna feel any better sittin’ around in this dumb car.”

Reluctantly, she followed him outside, sitting beside him on the porch steps of Yondu’s house, their knees brushing between them. The air was delightfully crisp, the sun was setting in just the right way - it was almost poetic, if not for the tears streaked down Gamora’s face, or her reddened eyes and nose.

“Out of all the things he could have ‘boasted’ about, why did it have to be that?” Her fingers closed around the edge of the stair beneath her thighs, gripping it so tightly that Peter thought it was going to break off in her hands. “You hear about...you hear some of the boys that he hangs out with, the ones that brag about their sex lives, belittle their girlfriends ‘til they’re nothing more than a warm body. It’s disgusting and demeaning, and yet I would have almost _welcomed_ that compared to him telling people what I did when I was with Thanos. The fact that I was _with_ Thanos. The elaborate lies he told about what I’m capable of. And now everyone looks at me like I truly am Thanos’s daughter, like I’m no better than him. Like I’m the monster that keeps their children up at night. Like I wasn’t a child myself.”

“You were brave as hell, getting you and Nebula outta there,” Peter insisted. “That jerk just wanted to tell a story, one that wasn’t his, because the biggest struggle he’s ever had was when he got his front teeth knocked out by a swing in third grade.”

“Tragedy is not something to brag about, _especially_ not someone else’s.” Gamora squeezed her eyes shut. “He told them I _killed_ people, Peter. I never got _anywhere_ near that point, I was _never_ that far gone. I spent my entire life building myself up from scratch. Making myself over, despite the way I was raised in my earliest years. And he ruined that with just one drunken conversation with his friends, which carried on to _their_ friends, and _their_ families, and then…” She let out a shaky sigh. “I have to start all over again once I leave this place. This town, it’s...it’s draining.” Gamora suddenly turned toward him, clasping his hands in hers, bringing them to rest in Peter’s lap. “How do you manage to stay here? Doesn’t it stifle you?”

“I got...I got my family, Gamora,” Peter said simply. “I could never leave, not when they’re still here.”

“But given the chance, wouldn’t you want to take the opportunity and just...go? Even for a little while?” Gamora persisted. “I am _desperate_ to graduate, Peter. To get away from all these people who now only know me as a daughter of Thanos. I want to go to college, learn about myself and who I’m going to be. Make a difference in whatever way I can, without his presence hanging over my head.”

“Then do it. Be that person,” Peter said. “But I don’t think that stuff’s for me.”

“You can always be more, Peter,” Gamora replied, releasing his hands so she could squeeze his knee encouragingly. “I can’t imagine you, of all people, wanting to sit still. Especially in a place like this.”

“I dunno.” He smiled half-heartedly. “Maybe once Mantis graduates...even then, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“You could find work in the city,” Gamora suggested. “That seems more your pace. Something different, something...dynamic.”

Peter snorted. “What, like the Nova Corps?”

“If it suits you,” Gamora shrugged, leaning back a little. “Though I can’t picture you in a uniform. Or taking orders.”

“Me neither,” he agreed with a laugh. “Hey, but seriously, screw Richard. You trusted him with your biggest secret, and he did the worst thing he could possibly do with it.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better, because it isn’t working,” Gamora said dryly.

Peter chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry. I guess what I’m trying to say is...I hope this is the worst it ever gets. That whoever you tell all that stuff to next...a friend, a boyfriend...they respect you. I mean, people should do that anyways, but apparently ‘basic decency’ isn’t in that dick’s vocabulary.” He paused. “Seriously, d’you want me to punch him in the face?”

Gamora couldn’t help the giggles that escaped her, bubbly and pleasantly warm in her stomach. “No, Peter, you’ve already gotten in enough trouble as it is. But...thank you. For helping me get that closure.”

Peter waved her off. “All I did was drive you to his place so you could grab your stuff and scream at him. Like, _really_ scream at him.”

“You did more than that, and you know it,” Gamora said softly. “You’re a good person, Peter Quill. And you’re far more than what you think of yourself.”

He softened, smiling as he leaned into her. “And you, Gamora, deserve better than what you’ve been getting.” He hung his head a little remorsefully. “You’re right, though. Maybe someday, we _all_ need to get outta here. Live better lives somewhere else. But sometimes...I think this is as good as it’s gonna get.”

The two of them slipped into amicable silence, turning themselves outwards to face the Xandarian sky as the sun began to set, washing them in a warm orange glow. Peter sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back on his hands, letting the light absorb his troubles for just a minute. Gamora, meanwhile, snuck a glance in his direction. He was a far cry from the skinny kid she had met twelve years ago, and somehow all the same. Surprisingly moody at times, sensitive, warm, kind-hearted Peter, far smarter and more well-intentioned than anyone gave him credit for, including himself. She would never admit it out loud, but she had the feeling that once she moved away for college, she was truly going to miss him.

Peter suddenly turned to meet her eyes, his gaze soft and piercing at the same time, his smile crooked and sweet. “What?” he chuckled.

Gamora’s heart beat just a little bit faster. She gripped the edge of the stair once more before she could do something stupid. “It’s nothing.” She smiled faintly. “It’s just...it’s nothing at all.”

* * *

Gamora stirred slightly at the feeling of a body brushing against hers. She blinked blearily into the darkness, realizing it was Peter who had laid down beside her and hadn’t been sneaky enough to do it without consequence. He smiled apologetically. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered. “Go back to sleep.”

“You’ve been in and out all night,” she whispered back, glancing briefly at the clock. It was nearly four AM, and they had turned off the lights three hours ago. Still, she vaguely remembered hearing him get up to go to the bathroom once, while all the other times he had gotten up, it seemed like he was just pacing restlessly in the kitchen. “You’re still nervous, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Peter rolled onto his back, staring unseeingly at the ceiling. “I dunno if it’s all the bodies in here, but I’m getting super frickin’ hot. I’m gonna head to the roof for a bit, cool off.”

“By yourself? That sounds lonely,” Gamora said before she could stop herself. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was trying to insinuate, but there was no backing down - she knew what she wanted now, and she was going to make it right.

He sat up, smiling down at her. “Then come join me.”

She ducked into her bedroom to grab his jacket before following him up the stairs, careful to avoid the particularly creaky top step, and slipped out the window, wrapping herself carefully in the thick leather like it was a blanket. Summer nights weren’t quite as hot this time of year, so it was a welcome weight on her shoulders - or maybe she just needed a barrier.

Peter slid in right beside her this time, shoulder to shoulder, radiating extra warmth. Gamora shivered. Considering she had barely seen him at all yesterday, and he had been acting strangely the last time they were out here, she was somewhat surprised to see him back to his usual self, if still a little melancholy.

“You haven’t listened to the tapes yet, but you brought them with you,” Gamora observed. She gestured towards the box that Peter had carefully set down beside him, along with his beloved Walkman. “Though I’m guessing that’s not what kept you up.”

“You know me, I’m curious,” Peter chuckled. “Hell, I have a tape from _Nebula_ in here. What’s _that_ all about?”

“I would bet you all the units in the universe that they’re joke songs,” Gamora said, rolling her eyes. “If I know anything about my sister, it’s that she absolutely _has_ to have the last word.”

“Can I listen to yours?” Peter asked. “Or would that be weird, since you’re here?”

“No, it’s...it’s fine. Go ahead.” Gamora wrapped herself a little tighter in his jacket - although it was _her_ jacket now, wasn’t it? - hugging her knees into her chest. His cologne lingered in the fabric, a smell she had hated the first time he’d worn it back in his first year of high school, now a familiar comfort. She briefly wondered how long the scent would remain without its original owner. Peter rustled through the box to locate Gamora’s tape, slid it into the Walkman, and with an oddly nervous breath, pressed play.

_Year after year...running over the same old ground...and how we found...the same old fears...wish you were here…_

_We've come too far to leave it all behind...how could we end it all this way?...when tomorrow comes and we both regret...the things we said today…_

_Well, I've been afraid of changin'...'cause I've built my life around you...but time makes you bolder...even children get older...and I'm getting older, too…_

_I ain't missing you at all...since you've been gone away...I ain't missing you...no matter what my friends say…_

_Don't you forget about me...I'll be alone, dancing you know it, baby...going to take you apart...I'll put us back together at heart, baby..._

A full minute of silence lingered long after the last song had played out. Peter was staring off into the distance, speechless and seemingly numb. Gamora held her breath, her heart drumming rapidly in her chest, daring her to speak first. “...Peter?”

“Are you makin’ fun of me?” he whispered.

Gamora hesitated. “What?”

“Is that what this whole thing’s about?” He held up the Walkman, the tape rattling around precariously inside. “You found out. Or, I dunno, maybe you’ve always known. And you decided to throw these songs back in my face.”

He moved as if to leave, shaking his head in quiet anger. In a sudden burst of desperation, Gamora quickly reached for him, gently wrapping her fingers around his wrists and pulling him back down beside her, anchoring herself so closely that she was practically sitting on his leg. She eased the Walkman out of his hands and popped the tape out, holding it up for him to see. “Peter, I am trying to tell _you_ , not the other way around,” she said softly, pressing it back into his palm.

“Tell me...tell me what?”

“That when I was a child and had already been witness to more savagery and loss than anyone ever should in their entire lifetime, I was convinced that love was a fiction. That I thought the only person I would ever grow to care about, even just a little bit, was Nebula. That when I came to this town, and you invited us over to play just ten minutes after we arrived, I knew you were going to mean something to me. That due to - I don’t know, luck, fate, all the entities I said I never believed in - I was brought to live here, of all places, to grow up alongside you, of all people. And that maybe...maybe I’ve loved you this whole time.”

“Gamora,” Peter breathed.

“You said earlier this week that people keep their feelings to themselves out of self-preservation, to protect themselves from others. But I might be one of the exceptions,” Gamora said, smiling ruefully. “I think the only thing I’ve been afraid of this whole time is myself. Not just about what you, or my sister, or _your_ sister mean to me, but what _I_ mean to me. What would become of me had I not escaped that day. What I deserved, and what I earned. I needed to work on myself before I could be certain of everything and everyone else. I’m...still not really sure. But you know what?” She leaned in close, resting her forehead against his. “I’ve never been more sure of anything than right now.”

Peter was the one to close the gap, tilting his chin slightly to bring his mouth to hers, closing his eyes at the very last second. To his surprise, Gamora immediately deepened the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing him down into the roof. He braced his knees against her hips, pulling her in almost impossibly close.

Gamora eventually broke the kiss, though the glint in her eyes suggested she was open to meeting him halfway again. Peter cupped her jaw, staring at her in a mix of confusion and elation. “But why now?” he said breathlessly. “What changed?”

“I guess there _is_ something to be said about waiting until the very last minute,” Gamora admitted with a laugh. “And like I said, I had to be certain. If this was what I wanted, if I was ready. If the girl you were talking about was me.”

“I thought I was being so damn obvious,” Peter said, laughing wetly, rubbing at his temples in disbelief. “Part of me just assumed you figured it out a long time ago and didn’t say anything ‘cos you didn’t wanna embarrass me.”

“Believe me, you embarrass yourself plenty without my help,” Gamora deadpanned. She tentatively curled into his side, her face growing warm when Peter rearranged them so she was tucked snugly into his arms. They had only ever embraced like this a few times, and yet there was something so familiar about the feeling that left them both immensely comforted. “I can’t exactly pinpoint the moment I knew. The moment I knew how I felt, the moment I knew how you felt about _me_. But...I guess it doesn’t really matter, does it? We don’t need the epiphany they have in all those movies we’ve watched together. It’s not important.”

“It really isn’t,” Peter agreed, lowering his head slightly to kiss her cheek. “But hey...I love you.”

Gamora blinked up at him with impossibly soft, affectionate eyes. “I love you, too.”

They kissed again, slower this time, reminding themselves that just for tonight, they had all the seconds and minutes and hours in the world. They were a little light-headed from the lack of sleep and the chilly late night air, and their backs ached from the unevenness of the roof tile, but it was perfect.

She pulled away first once more, resting her hands against his chest. His heartbeat drummed steadily underneath her fingers. “Oh, and I know I’ve made my stance clear, regardless of my feelings, but - only stay if _you_ want to. At the end of the day, what you do with your life is your business. Don’t let any of us tell you otherwise.”

“It’s okay. I really _did_ make up my mind already,” Peter said reassuringly.

“Is that so?” Gamora teased. Somehow, she felt far better about it now than she had last night when he had said as much. “Do I get to find out?”

“I wanna tell everyone in the morning,” Peter replied apologetically. “Make it dramatic, you know? But...I think it’s somethin’ everyone’s gonna be happy about. At least, I hope so.”

“That’s fair.” Gamora sighed reluctantly. “We probably should go back inside before they notice we’re gone.”

“Yeah, I know, but I just wanna stay out here forever with you,” Peter said, squeezing her hand. “And maybe this sounds kinda dumb, but it almost feels...magical. Or, peaceful, I guess. Like nothing can touch us.”

“That’s not dumb at all,” Gamora said quietly. “I feel it, too.”

“Maybe it’s ‘cos I’ve tried to imagine how it would happen, but I never expected it to go like this.” His eyes twinkled with mirth. “For one thing, I never thought _you_ would be the one to initiate the conversation.”

“I saw no point in waiting any longer,” Gamora said defensively, and she almost sounded embarrassed. “We’ve both grown, we’re both ready, in a way, and so I thought - ”

“It’s okay, Gamora, you don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Peter grinned. “You were just so overwhelmed with how much you love me, you just _had_ to say something - ”

“It’s been five minutes, and I’m already regretting my decision,” Gamora sighed, untangling herself from Peter and crawling back over to his bedroom window. She held out her hand for him to take. “We really need to get inside.”

“Aw, but my bed’s right here,” Peter said teasingly, taking her hand regardless. They both landed softly on the bed, and he couldn’t help but kiss her again, delirious from equal parts exhaustion and joy, his body pinning hers against his sheets. Gamora was momentarily distracted by the sensation, returning the kiss with matched enthusiasm, thrilled at how natural it all felt.

Still, she slowly detached herself again, her eyes flickering across his face. “As tempting as that sounds, I’d rather not raise any suspicion. You know how our friends are - they never let _anything_ go. Ever.”

Peter reluctantly got to his feet, following Gamora to his bedroom door. Before she could open it, though, he pressed her up against it and kissed her again, giddy that it was something he could just _do_ now, something that he knew they both wanted. “Guess I’ll have _two_ announcements for them in the morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another writing signature of mine (that I should probably break the habit of but is too fun to do) is apparently Gamora making super dramatic confession speeches, this time accompanied by super dramatic song choices: [Wish You Were Here](https://open.spotify.com/track/6iMjntVYkchLBJcqsiSNYZ?si=LhHeL_TNQIi78Ft1eahtew) by Pink Floyd, [If You Leave Me Now](https://open.spotify.com/track/0KMGxYKeUzK9wc5DZCt3HT?si=_rrZhC3jTW2zJTPCTTo78A) by Chicago, [Landslide](https://open.spotify.com/track/5ihS6UUlyQAfmp48eSkxuQ?si=YqNMbhvHS6qcmFQl8KEUTQ) by Fleetwood Mac, [Missing You](https://open.spotify.com/track/1Qrdlkgg9I4J7r3P4kZNwr?si=ghqMbi8hQQCVpN7gnIhFMw) by John Waite, and of course, [Don't You (Forget About Me)](https://open.spotify.com/track/4aWn4NHlELpOehxsBaQeoe?si=BVIPF224Rk6xJ1gMmrrgBA) by Simple Minds. She is also correct that Nebula's song choices are all joke picks, but I'll share everyone's songlists in the notes of the final chapter!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos would be much appreciated, and I'll see y'all next week :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You _are_ going to be okay. You deserve to be okay. We all do.”

_Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up, in the morning when the day is new..._

_And after having spent the day together, hold each other close the whole night through..._

Peter woke to the feeling of two very distinct sensations - one: the feeling of Gamora curled against his chest with her hands loosely resting on his hips while his arms were around her waist, her breathing in near-perfect sync with his, the crown of her head nestled neatly underneath his chin. Second: the feeling of water (or rather, he desperately _hoped_ it was just water) being dripped onto his cheek, which, considering the proximity of their heads, was now sliding down into Gamora’s hair.

He yelped in realization at what was happening, using the sleeve of his shirt to hastily wipe at his face and pat down Gamora’s head, then sat up to glare at the culprits. Rocket and Groot were hovering over them, snickering, looking incredibly pleased with themselves. “Really, guys? What are you, five?”

Gamora stirred at the sound of Peter’s voice, smiling sleepily at him before turning to glare daggers in Rocket’s direction. “Rocket,” she growled. “What did you do?”

“Oh, nothin’. What did _you_ do?” Rocket grinned, wiggling his eyebrows lecherously, and he and Groot promptly hightailed it out of the den. Groaning, Peter slumped back onto the pillows in defeat, noting that the two of them were alone; everyone else seemed to have woken up and left the room a while ago.

“I’m gonna kill ‘em,” Peter declared, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “And you can’t stop me.”

“Believe me, I’m with you on that one,” Gamora said, laying back down beside him. “So...you get the news today. But you said you’ve already decided, one way or the other.”

“I have,” Peter nodded, drumming his fingers absentmindedly on his stomach to the beat of a song only he could hear. “I should go grab my computer and get everyone in the kitchen. Think it’s about time I tell you guys that I’ve finally got it all figured out.”

Gamora smiled as Peter quickly kissed her before standing and heading upstairs, sighing contentedly. There was no limit to her vocabulary when it came to describing her and Peter’s relationship, especially in its newest form, but the one word that came to mind throughout the years was _comfortable_. She literally felt warmer snuggled up to him, sure, but their presence grounded one another, a far cry from both of their previous relationship histories.

She got up as well, quickly ducking into the bedrooms to let the others know what Peter was up to. Drax and Mantis seemed to have taken over the kitchen already, preparing breakfast for the entire group, while Yondu was drifting off at the table, yawning and rubbing his eyes constantly. “What’s goin’ on, Gamora?” he asked, stretching exaggeratedly in his seat.

“What else? Peter wants our attention,” she smirked.

“I’ve got somethin’ to tell you,” Peter announced loudly, strolling into the room as if to make Gamora’s point. He set his laptop down on the counter by Gamora, though he was quick to close it before anyone could see what was on the screen. “First, I guess - Gamora and I are...we’re…” He squinted a little. “I just realized we never talked about what this was gonna be. I mean, I just assumed - ”

“You’re my boyfriend, Peter,” Gamora interrupted exasperatedly, rolling her eyes. None of the others seemed all that surprised, which was understandable considering how Peter and Gamora had been wrapped up in each other’s arms with no attempt to hide what had conspired last night. Yondu, on the other hand, nearly fell out of his chair at the news.

“Really?” he exclaimed. “Well, it’s about damn time! You was both startin’ to get on my nerves with all the runaround, ‘they don’t feel the same way’ nonsense. Lemme guess - it was _you_ who said somethin’ first, Gamora. We both know how defensive he gets sometimes.”

“Hey,” Peter protested. “I do not get - okay, you got a point.”

“I am so _relieved_ ,” Mantis groaned to everyone’s amusement, sinking into the chair beside Yondu. “Do you know how hard it was to know about your feelings and not say anything? For fifteen _years_?”

Peter and Gamora turned to look at each other, both slightly rosy-cheeked in embarrassment, but they couldn’t help but grin adoringly as well. He threw his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer, while she slid her arm behind his waist, squeezing him in affection. Rocket gagged. “Oh man, it’s startin’,” he muttered to Groot, who merely shrugged, unbothered as always.

“Okay, next - I got a message from the Nova Corps.” It felt like the entire room was holding their breath as Peter momentarily let go of Gamora to open his laptop. A few torturously quiet seconds passed while he turned it around so they could see. “I got in!”

The kitchen practically exploded with sound and movement as they all crowded in to throw their arms around Peter, shouting their congratulations over one another, getting louder and louder until Yondu was fairly certain their neighbors were going to call the cops, and yelled for everyone to shut up. Once they settled down and moved back into their seats, chatting excitedly, Gamora gravitated back to Peter’s side. “I’m proud of you, Peter,” she said softly. “I have to admit, when you told me about this a week ago, I just assumed you did it out of boredom. But I’ve seen your dedication before, in the way you take care of what’s yours, and this proves it tenfold.”

“Thanks, Gamora.” Peter wrapped her in a hug, kissing her forehead. “It means a lot, hearing you say that. But I’m not finished yet.” She looked at him curiously, but he simply released her so he could pull up another screen. “So, uh, I sent in an application for somethin’ else a few days ago. A college application, actually.”

“What?” Gamora’s eyes widened. Mantis got up from the dining table to cross the room, her antennae lit up in curiosity.

“Yeah, I actually applied to a few schools. Stayed up a little late to finish ‘em, but it was worth it,” he smiled. “And I got accepted. To all of ‘em. Including my first choice, which is great, ‘cos it’s where the two most important women in my life are going, too.”

Mantis clutched at Gamora’s arm in shock, her fingernails digging into her skin. “Peter, does this mean…?”

“I gotta do one of those sit-down interviews first, and I’m just in general studies until I can declare my major, but...yeah, I’m going back to school.” Peter broke out into a huge grin. “I’m super out of practice, so I’m gonna need some help, but it’s gonna happen. I want to be a teacher. You guys know I’ve never been great at school, but...I liked learning. I wanna make that happen for kids. Make school an awesome experience for ‘em. I don’t know what I’m gonna teach or what age group or anything like that, but...I’ve got time to figure it out.”

Mantis flung her arms around her brother, sinking into his side with a relieved sigh. “Oh, Peter, I am so happy for you,” she breathed, burrowing into his shoulder. “You are going to be the best teacher in the entire universe, I know it!” Rocket and Groot were next to join in on the embrace with whoops of joy, and even Nebula took a step closer like she was seriously considering it.

“Being a teacher would suit you better than a soldier, Quill. You are something of a child yourself,” Drax commented, clapping Peter on the back. The group jolted unpleasantly at the sudden contact.

“That’s what _I’ve_ been saying,” Gamora said with a euphoric laugh. Peter made another sound of protest but ducked his head to kiss her anyways, causing everyone to groan exaggeratedly.

He withdrew from her to glance over everyone’s heads across the room at Yondu, who hadn’t moved from the table at all. “...Yondu?”

“You done me proud, boy,” Yondu said thickly, and as if everyone wasn’t already emotional enough, he appeared to be tearing up. His arms were folded tightly across his chest, his jaw clenched to prevent himself from crying. “I shoulda told you two years ago that you didn’t hafta stay for me. I was sick, but I wasn’t _that_ sick, and the shop was gonna be jus’ fine without you. But I didn’t, and I’ve been feelin’ awful about it ever since. And you got too much of a soft heart, so you woulda never listened to me, anyway. I’m real glad you’re doin’ it now.”

“Aw, Yondu - ” Peter stepped out of the group embrace to jog over and wrap himself tightly around Yondu’s shoulders, causing him to cry out in surprise. “I’m gonna keep makin’ you proud, okay? Always.” Yondu nodded sharply, patting Peter on the back. “But...I do kinda need my job back for the rest of the year. Gotta save up some more money for tuition and books and stuff.”

“You’re hired,” Yondu laughed wetly, sniffling. “I don’t trust no one else with the register. Not even _these_ hooligans.”

“These ‘hooligans’ are offended by your insinuation,” Rocket called without any real bite.

“Hold on, so you’re staying here for another semester?” Gamora asked. “Like me?”

“I don’t wanna rush it,” Peter replied, letting go of Yondu so he could walk back to her. “Gotta take my time and get ready, ‘cos I’ve been outta school for almost three years now. From what I’ve heard, college don’t sound like a walk in the park.”

“That’s an understatement,” Gamora deadpanned, smiling. “It would’ve been a little strange if you had your first semester of school while I’m back home. It’s good to know we’ll be here together.”

“And when you got some time for me, I’ve got some date ideas in mind,” Peter murmured, sliding his arms around her waist.

“Can we get breakfast goin’ so I at least have something to throw up when these two start makin’ out in the kitchen?” Rocket demanded. Peter flipped him off in response, leaning down to kiss Gamora again, regardless of the ensuing protests.

Mantis and Drax finally finished serving breakfast a few minutes later, the entire group crowding in at the dining table, chattering loudly over each other once more. “Seriously, enough about me. What’re you guys gonna be up to? For the long-term, or whatever?” Peter asked.

“Me n’ Groot can stay at the store forever. Don’t need a fancy lifestyle,” Rocket shrugged. “Though if we can go on more of those buying trips and get at the goods first - ”

“I seen you around shiny things, boy, don’t count on it,” Yondu snorted.

"I am Groot," Groot agreed.

“I plan on proposing to Hovat on her next birthday,” Drax said proudly, though there was an endearing shyness in his voice, too. “It will mostly be a formality, as we have discussed marriage at length already, but now feels like the right time. Then we can move in together and start a family. I know we both especially want a daughter.”

The room exploded in congratulations once more, everyone reaching around to squeeze Drax’s shoulder, or in Mantis’s case, hug him even tighter than he had done to Peter before. “That’s awesome, dude!” Peter exclaimed. “She’s definitely gonna say yes. And if you need someone to look after your future kids, you know who to call.”

Drax paused. “Who?”

“Peter will teach your children how to swear and _dance_ , Drax, you would be better off leaving them with Mantis,” Gamora said dryly, smirking at Peter, who looked half-offended. Drax shuddered at the very thought.

“I have already started looking at places where we can open a clinic,” Mantis confessed, raising her hand tentatively like they were still in school. “I know it is _way_ too early, but I liked the idea so much that I thought I would see what opportunities we have.”

“Show me what you’ve found,” Gamora said, brightening. “Who knows, maybe we’ll find a fixer-upper and save it from being turned into one of those franchises. Get it cleaned up so it’s ready for us by the time we graduate.”

“I was thinking of taking some local classes,” Nebula mumbled, almost as if she didn’t want anyone to hear. Gamora’s eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock. “I’ve spent far too long sitting around at home, staring at the wall. I need something to do before I lose my mind from boredom.”

“Not the _worst_ reason I’ve ever heard,” Gamora said, relieved. “Do you want some help looking at courses?”

The corner of Nebula’s mouth twitched ever so slightly. “Maybe.”

“Look at all of us,” Peter declared, setting his fork down. “Movin’ up in the world. Well, kinda. We’re all still sort of...here.”

“Maybe ‘here’ isn’t so bad, after all,” Gamora said quietly. “Maybe we can move forward without moving on.”

“I like the sound of that!” Yondu agreed, raising his coffee mug. “I hate to say it, but...you kids keep me young. An’ broke as hell.”

“Cheers to that,” Peter snorted, also lifting his cup. Everyone else followed suit, grinning happily at each other from across the table.

* * *

Gamora stared out the window, apprehensive yet curious, at the iron-wrought gate that came into view as Peter pulled the car into the drive. She scanned the name embedded in the metal, and suddenly, it dawned on her what they were doing here. “Peter?”

“Okay, so this isn’t the _best_ first date ever, but I promise it’s gonna be...memorable?” Peter winced a little. “I know we gotta be on the road soon, drive you back to your school - ”

“Soon to be _our_ school,” Gamora reminded him.

Peter grinned, nodding happily. “Right, _our_ school. I have to drive you both back to our school in a few hours, but I said I was gonna bring you here, didn’t I?”

She smiled, leaning back a little in her seat to fix her gaze on him. It was strange, thinking about how distant they had been a week ago, how they had slipped out of each other’s lives in the past two years, only to become intimately acquainted like never before. Distance hadn’t made the heart grow fonder, but time seemed to have done the trick. “So take me there.”

Once they parked and got out of the car, Peter immediately reached for Gamora’s hand, pleased by the way her fingers automatically tangled with his as if they had done this many times before. He led her across the lush green lawn of the cemetery toward his mother’s empty grave. The grounds were unsurprisingly empty, considering it was a warm Sunday morning and people had far less morbid places to be. So, Peter laid out a blanket like he had last time, and he and Gamora sat down, cross-legged, in front of Meredith’s headstone.

“So obviously, my mom is _actually_ buried somewhere in St. Charles, back on Earth, but I got this plot for her anyways so I have somewhere to go. See her when I’m thinkin’ of her, when I need advice, when I just...wanna talk to her again.” Peter smiled sadly. “I asked Yondu to help me set this up as my tenth birthday present. He said it was kinda depressing, but he didn’t ask any questions, just...did it. Mantis is the only other person who knows this is here. Well, until now.”

“It’s a really good idea,” Gamora commented. “I wish I had thought of it for my parents, too. But by now, I...I’ve long forgotten how to talk to them. I don’t know what I would even talk to them about.”

“Not too late,” Peter insisted with a shrug. “After you finish school for the year and come back home, maybe _you_ can do it, too. Y’know, only if you want to.”

“Maybe I will.” They sat in contemplative silence for a moment, the mild late summer winds whistling through their hair. Eventually, Peter shuffled a little closer so he was kneeling right in front of the headstone.

“Hey, Mom,” he said, clearing his throat. “Said I was gonna be back, so here I am. Things’ve changed a lot since I was here a few days ago, so I thought I’d give you an update. I, uh, I brought someone to meet you today. I mean, you kind of know her, I’ve talked about her a lot.” He turned briefly to smile at Gamora. “I told you about this awesome girl who was just so... _confident_ , and smart, and passionate about the stuff she really cared about. She really knew her values, and I always admired that. Having convictions, having morals. I was never good at any of that,” he admitted, laughing. “I think I would’ve been a different person if she hadn’t grown up across the street from me. And not to brag, but I think the same goes for her.” Gamora nodded in agreement. “And, uh, she’s my girlfriend now. One of my best friends in the entire universe. We’ve officially been dating for about...thirty-six hours? But we’ve already got plans, y’know? Long-term plans.”

“I decided not to join the Nova Corps, after all. It just wasn’t for me, that kind of thing. I gotta figure some stuff out on my own, and having someone tell me what to do don’t seem like the right way to do it. So I’m going back to school next year to become a teacher. That’s the plan, anyway. Who knows, I might find something else I’m really into. And I’ll be going to the same place as Mantis and Gamora, so we’re gonna get an apartment together, close to campus. When they graduate, they’re gonna come back here and open a women’s clinic together. I’ll have another year or two of school after that, and then I’ll come back and be a teacher.” Peter plucked at the grass, lowering his head. “Maybe it sounds unrealistic, but you know I’ve always been a dreamer. I just...I wish you were here to see it.”

Gamora reached over to squeeze Peter’s shoulder reassuringly. He laid his hand on top of hers, patting her gratefully. “I miss you, Mom. I’m always gonna miss you. But I think I’m gonna be okay.”

Peter settled back on the blanket, still loosely holding Gamora’s hand between them. “You _are_ going to be okay,” she said quietly. “You deserve to be okay. We all do.”

“The last time I was here, I told Mantis I didn’t wanna be the guy that works, lives, and dies in one place,” he said, turning to look at her. “I guess that’s sorta what’s happening, anyways. But I don’t mind it as much as I thought I would. Not when I got you and everyone else with me.”

Gamora nodded silently, unsure of what else to say that hadn’t already been said. There was something oddly peaceful about being here, something contemplative. Her mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts of the past and the future all week, that now, she felt still, and she didn’t want it any other way.

“You look like you’re thinkin’ about something.” Peter pulled his legs up into his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees as he fixed his gaze on her.

“Actually, I’m really not,” Gamora said. “I know that when I go back to school, I have assignments to catch up on, exams to study for, but...coming back here really made everything so much clearer. About me, about Nebula, about us.”

“That’s awesome,” Peter said sincerely, smiling when she shuffled closer to lean against him, her body sinking into his. “This is gonna sound super cheesy, but...you really inspire me, Gamora. I’d be lying if I said you weren’t my biggest influence, with me going back to school and all. And I’m actually really excited about it, even though I never liked going to class, doing homework, all that stuff. I get to work hard on somethin’ _I_ wanna do, I get to be with you and Mantis every day like when we were kids, and I’m gonna make Mom and Yondu proud.”

“You’ve already made your family proud,” Gamora insisted, reaching over to gently push his hair out of his eyes, sliding her hand along the underside of his jaw. “I can only hope I can do the same with my sister.”

“You know you will.” Peter stretched his legs out so he could gently tug Gamora halfway into his lap, her knees laid on top of his. “And you also know that you’re family, too. Always have been. ‘Cept you’re definitely _not_ my sister.”

“Good, because that would make this weird,” Gamora chuckled, leaning up to briefly kiss him. “I love you.”

Peter’s heart melted a little, tilting his face just the slightest bit so he could kiss her again. “I love you, too.”

* * *

_Fifteen years ago_

Peter had to admit, when it came to making friends, it had been far easier back on Earth than it was on Xandar. Growing up in St. Charles, though it certainly wasn’t the smallest town around, there was an inherent friendliness built into the community - “oh, you’re Meredith’s boy!” people would say, because it seemed like everyone knew and adored Meredith Quill, and they would welcome Peter with open arms. Here, however, there was a social bubble around him, partially because of his heritage (he was pretty much the only Terran who had ever lived outside of their own planet), but mostly because of Mantis.

Mantis was the kind of child that the others liked to avoid, given her abilities. Her control over them was wildly unpredictable, manageable only when she was completely relaxed, and it scared most people, even adults. Peter wasn’t about to abandon his sister, especially for friends who were frightened of her, anyway. It was why he had been especially eager to befriend Gamora and Nebula, who seemed socially isolated as well.

Their first few weeks on Xandar had mostly been trial and error, figuring out where their boundaries were - Peter wasn’t in the business of making his potential new friends uncomfortable, though he knew he had the tendency to be over-enthusiastic, regardless of how hard he tried not to be. The sisters were slowly warming up to Mantis more so than Peter, given her similarly shy, inward nature, and the three of them often sat in the den together, quietly chatting with the TV playing in the background. Sometimes, Peter tried to join in, but he found himself more bored than anything. He was trying, though.

A knock on the front door sent Peter practically flying down the stairs, resulting in Yondu calling after him from the kitchen, scolding him about running in the house, as always. He opened the door, somewhat out of breath, and was startled to find Gamora standing there by herself, her hands clasped neatly in front of her. “Hi,” he said, astonished.

“Nebula fell out of a window trying to run away and broke her arm, so Tanak and Mexa have to take her to the hospital,” Gamora said matter-of-factly. “Can I stay here until they get back?”

“Who’s at the door, boy?”

“It’s Gamora!” Peter shouted back. Gamora winced from the sheer volume of his voice. “Nebula broke her arm so she’s gotta stay with us ‘til they’re back from the doc.”

“Then let her in already!”

Peter smiled beatifically. “Come in.” Gamora shot him a weird look before carefully stepping into the house. She briefly disappeared into the kitchen to get her customary juice box from Yondu, then crossed the hallway to join Peter in the den. He was already flipping through all the television channels, hoping to find something to entertain her for a few hours. They had never really been alone before, the two of them, since one of their sisters usually acted as a buffer. Well, Mantis was a good buffer, able to maintain conversation that wasn’t incredibly stilted. Nebula liked to make things _more_ difficult just because she could. “How long are they gonna be gone?”

“I don’t know.” Gamora sipped on her straw politely. It was only then that Peter noticed her hands were trembling.

“Somethin’ wrong?” he asked.

Gamora looked uncertain of whether to answer, slowly lowering the juice box into her lap. “The sound she made when she hit the ground…” She shuddered. “I didn’t think I would ever have to hear her scream like that again.”

“Because of...right.” Peter trailed off, knowing better than to bring it up. They hadn’t even spoken Thanos’s name since their first day here, and he suspected they wanted to keep it that way. “Um, so do you wanna do somethin’? Like, I got card games and board games...or this weird spinning toy thingy that Yondu found at a trading post for me. Or at least, I think it’s a toy.”

“I don’t know,” she repeated, sounding far sadder this time.

“You wanna...talk?” Peter wanted to take it back the moment he said it. The fact Gamora had even admitted her fear of Nebula being hurt again was far more revealing than anything she had ever said to him before. Asking more of her was probably just going to make her mad, something Peter was unfortunately very good at.

“Can I…?” Gamora hesitated. She set her juice box down on the coffee table and reached across its surface for the Walkman, eyeing it curiously. Peter watched as she turned it over in her hands, fiddling with the buttons. He had only played music for her and Nebula once, who both seemed largely averse to it, so he hadn’t done it since. Seeing Gamora hold the headphones up to her ear, however, told Peter that she wasn’t nearly as opposed to it as he thought.

“Want me to find a song for you?” he offered. She nodded, relieved that she didn’t have to ask, and held it out to him. He found a gentle song, something that soothed him whenever he was feeling particularly antsy, and set the Walkman down between them.

_I took my love, I took it down...climbed a mountain and I turned around…_

_And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills...'til the landslide brought me down..._

He laid down on the couch, his feet hanging over the edge of the armrest, and Gamora followed suit on the opposite end, albeit a little uncertainly. Their heads were side-by-side, with her chin by his forehead and vice versa. They had never been this close before; he could almost count every individual eyelash, name all the shades of brown in her eyes. “You don’t hafta talk about it if you don’t wanna. I can talk enough for the both of us.”

“Because you like the sound of your own voice?” Gamora asked tentatively.

Peter was almost offended until he remembered it was what Mantis had said about him when they first met, and he laughed instead. “No, ‘cos you don’t wanna tell me. And that’s okay. There’s some stuff I don’t wanna talk about, either.”

Gamora tilted her head slightly to meet his eyes. “Your mother?” she guessed.

“Yeah. And my daddy.” Peter shuddered. “An’ now they’re both gone.”

“At least you have Yondu.” Gamora turned onto her back to stare at the ceiling. If she stared long enough, she could pick out patterns and images in its pebbly texture. The greenish-hazels of Peter’s eyes felt too intense for her. “My parents are gone, too. I just have Nebula.”

“We can be your family, too,” Peter offered. “Me, and Mantis, and Yondu.”

“Maybe,” Gamora hummed. “I’ve never had a brother before.”

Peter paused. Maybe Gamora was in a chattier mood than he initially thought. “Why’s Nebula tryin’ to run away? You have it good here, right? Better than, y’know, before.”

“I don’t think she likes people very much,” Gamora said thoughtfully. “Tanak and Mexa are nice, but...she’s used to being yelled at, and hit, and thrown around. She was hurt a lot more than me and the other kids. It’s why I wanted to save her first. But...I didn’t get to save anyone else.”

“How’d you do it?” Peter asked.

“I snuck into a ship one day, and I called the Nova Corps. They came to Titan and tried to kill as many bad guys as they could. I told the officer to take Nebula first, but then something went real wrong and the Corps ship had to take off, so they grabbed me and her, and left.” Gamora sank a little further into the couch cushions. “Maybe Nebula wants to go back. To the other kids. She might like them more than she likes me.”

“But you saved her,” Peter exclaimed. “That don’t make any sense.”

“Maybe I didn’t _really_ save her.” Gamora sighed, rolling onto her side to face him. Peter wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, but he had the feeling she would explain it to him one day. “What about...what about you and Mantis?”

“Yondu used to take kids to my daddy, like me and Mantis. I guess we were the only ones that were actually his, ‘cos he kept us around. I saw other kids sometimes, and I dunno what happened to ‘em. I have an idea, though.” Peter swallowed. “An’ one day, Yondu said he had enough of my daddy, and he took us here instead. Said he won’t tell me what happened ‘til I’m older, but...I think he killed my daddy. He was real mean to Mantis, and wasn’t so nice to me either, so...I’m kinda glad he’s gone. Is that...bad?”

“I wish Thanos was gone.” Gamora smiled ruefully. “So no, I don’t think that’s bad.”

“Do you wanna run away, too?” Slowly, Peter reached over to take her hand. “I hope you don’t, ‘cos...I like havin’ you here. Don’t got a lot of other friends.”

“I kind of like it here,” Gamora admitted. “I feel...safe. Like I’m going to be okay.”

“You _are_ gonna be okay,” Peter insisted, squeezing her hand. He barely registered the song switching to something more upbeat, almost as if the Walkman could sense the shift in the room’s mood. “So, um... _are_ we friends?”

Her expression softened, her smile slowly widening, and he felt a strange ache in his chest that he couldn’t quite identify. Then, to his amazement, she giggled, something musical and warm and unlike any other sound he’d ever heard her make before. Her grip on his hand tightened just the slightest bit, squeezing back.

“Yes, I think we’re friends.”

_Wouldn't it be nice if we were older, then we wouldn't have to wait so long…_

_And wouldn't it be nice to live together, in the kind of world where we belong..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are at the end of my little summertime fluff fic! I really liked writing this sort of low-key, low-conflict fic after the more complex [everybody wants to rule the world](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12841176/chapters/29320596), so much so that I have a lot of flashback scenes on the cutting room floor that I might post someday. If anything, I like the idea of writing the adventures that they've alluded to throughout the fic, so I might revisit this AU down the road!
> 
> Everyone else's songlists for Peter's going-away present are as follows:  
> Mantis - [Wouldn't It Be Nice](https://open.spotify.com/track/2Gy7qnDwt8Z3MNxqat4CsK?si=qlK7CAyHTZuH6TwJmnVSLQ), [Build Me Up Buttercup](https://open.spotify.com/track/1p71jbpivZLv0elmUNH5Oj?si=seY156ImQVqrCewlP6gQJA), [You're My Best Friend](https://open.spotify.com/track/4OKf7CcYuw5H2HptkcKxcP?si=Uqc30Tc8RM-bLaDXDkEGeg), [Daydream Believer](https://open.spotify.com/track/1izBRnjNiVRughOs4XkcnP?si=UqmggvhQQ0mFxLIaMUZZ-w), [The Way You Do The Things You Do](https://open.spotify.com/track/2Vv83FqTavH5fyuXva3L4T?si=sYdfZ66cSFSuhnjbLA8njg)  
> Yondu - [Rocket Man](https://open.spotify.com/track/3gdewACMIVMEWVbyb8O9sY?si=8T6JRSW0QU-k6-37EtaUgg), [Everyday People](https://open.spotify.com/track/4ZVZBc5xvMyV3WzWktn8i7?si=9tvH1ZYJRsqVyevH0SWz6A), [The House Of The Rising Sun](https://open.spotify.com/track/3XC7Jd6SfrQYKZJ6inyRHK?si=Q37VRwBhS_ifLFxbRNltow), [Hotel California](https://open.spotify.com/track/40riOy7x9W7GXjyGp4pjAv?si=vZWGafHyRBGpMsvLKX4zBA), [Father and Son](https://open.spotify.com/track/19slC7k8bsPOAKDjHYLU2W?si=3nMFAXKcSNGl0K58UvgHZw)  
> Rocket - [Southern Nights](https://open.spotify.com/track/7kv7zBjMtVf0eIJle2VZxn?si=KGtU-HKGSzuJlS107FCJog), [Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang](https://open.spotify.com/track/3qrEG6rQ9Qm72MNWeUKKiU?si=G5VBZU62Q12N-83xTVFWSQ), [Everybody Wants To Rule The World](https://open.spotify.com/track/4RvWPyQ5RL0ao9LPZeSouE?si=EdN_omXHRuW24CpaZak_VA), [Rich Girl](https://open.spotify.com/track/5E3P9e1hvjyIOlFyqNB5eD?si=7DVe7ariQ4W_EstPYfA0yg), [Come A Little Bit Closer](https://open.spotify.com/track/252YuUdUaC5OojaBU0H1CP?si=Md6jYGbOTzuZ9WToC14nMA)  
> Groot - [Mr. Blue Sky](https://open.spotify.com/track/2RlgNHKcydI9sayD2Df2xp?si=Iok5rFXbTQKQYGSzflLDcA), [September](https://open.spotify.com/track/5nNmj1cLH3r4aA4XDJ2bgY?si=8I1RD44dT8eTlqk2Rj4lpQ), [Spirit In The Sky](https://open.spotify.com/track/0Y2SrByf4G3kbq2nBEHQRn?si=H1qUv_WlQc6sqN8Ji7bZnA), [Baba O'Riley](https://open.spotify.com/track/3qiyyUfYe7CRYLucrPmulD?si=I8b9p2P_TJmPb6Zaeq8llQ), [I Want You Back](https://open.spotify.com/track/2OSfEYKhlSsLx6vn4O75RK?si=vUrk-2ENSpCcul1gDpBsiA)  
> Nebula - [It's Raining Men](https://open.spotify.com/track/5TgD3Wh5ZUZnUU4tmVvJbx?si=eRIlqGiPRUKjG4SXJ1IBeg), [Take On Me](https://open.spotify.com/track/2WfaOiMkCvy7F5fcp2zZ8L?si=mUI4wfZ6RjajCXr75Ts5gw), [Total Eclipse of the Heart](https://open.spotify.com/track/5prTs2HAw2G4idHZyeFp8o?si=XznJz0lQQsaOYTgMBjqhqg), [Every Breath You Take](https://open.spotify.com/track/2PnNomkEqlg9ADKCVG0Wt0?si=9raOOqH4SBKG7WI8ti34BA), [Careless Whisper](https://open.spotify.com/track/4jDmJ51x1o9NZB5Nxxc7gY?si=ofURoKKPRIyh1_vALXOXcA)
> 
> (As mentioned before, Drax didn't make one because it felt disingenuous, and Nebula was _definitely_ playing a joke. The song at the beginning and end of the chapter is Wouldn't It Be Nice, and the song Peter played Gamora in the flashback is Landslide once again.)
> 
> Thank you _so_ much to everyone who has read, commented, kudoed, liked, and/or reblogged this fic! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. My next Starmora fic will be starting in the last week of September, which you can read about on my [WIP page](http://bevioletskies.tumblr.com/WIP) (and I've alluded to it strongly here as well), though I take Peter/Gamora and Scott/Hope fic requests at any time and have a couple prompt fills that I will be posting between now and then. I hope to see you again in a future fic, and thanks again for being so lovely!


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